CRASH INTO YOU

RONI LOREN

DEDICATION

To my husband, Donnie.

You are my heart and my very own romance hero.

Thank you for being such a damn good man.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Praise for Roni Loren

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Extract: Melt into You

About the Author

Also by Roni Loren

Copyright

About the Publisher

Praise for Roni Loren

“Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense.”

—Shayla Black, national bestselling author

“With her debut erotic romance Crash Into You, Roni Loren has penned a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more! Reid is the dominant hero of Brynn’s BDSM fantasies, she is the only submissive for him, and neither has been able to forget the love and blazing passion they once shared. But these two will have to brave old hurts, painful secrets, and new danger before they can be together. I can’t wait for Roni Loren’s next tantalizing story!”

—Jo Davis, author of I Spy a Dark Obsession

“Revved up and red-hot sexy, Crash Into You delivers a riveting romance!”

—Lorelei James, New York Times bestselling author of the Rough Riders series and the Blacktop Cowboys series

ONE

Don the gas masks and cue the mushroom cloud. Brynn’s date was spiraling toward DEFCON 1—imminent disaster. In the brief time it had taken her to down three hors d’oeuvres, her sexy doctor had tumbled from fantasy fodder to potential therapy client.

Dr. Depressed propped his elbows on the table and leaned forward, his brows knitted. “I don’t know what I did wrong. One minute we’re in love and planning the future, the next I catch her in the copy room with her arms wrapped around the pharmaceutical sales rep.”

Brynn frowned as tears gathered behind his glasses. Oh, hell. She couldn’t have another guy cry on her. That’d be the second one this month. She was becoming the Barbara Walters of dating—taking a perfectly put-together person and reducing him to tears without trying. She reached across the table and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It sounds like she took advantage of what a nice guy you are.”

He stared at her for a moment, and then released a breath. “God, what am I doing? I’m breaking that cardinal rule, right? No ex talk on dates. I’m sure you didn’t ask me to come to this fund-raiser so you could hear me yammer about my breakup.”

“It’s fine. Breakups can be tough,” she said, giving her therapist half-smile—the one that said I feel your pain and am so not judging you, even though she was already formulating a hypothetical treatment plan in her head. She drew her hand away and sipped the last of her iced tea.

The lines in his face relaxed, and he leaned back in his seat. “I’m sorry I let it come up. You’re just so easy to talk to.”

“Occupational hazard, I guess,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. But the truth of her statement turned the words to sawdust in her mouth. She enjoyed her work, but did that mean she had signed up to heal every guy she dated? For once, she’d love to worry, like other women did, that a guy had asked her out simply to get her in bed. Instead, she had to worry if someone asked her to dinner because it was cheaper than a therapy session.

A waiter stopped by with a tray of champagne flutes. Brynn accepted one of the drinks, but her companion shook his head. “No thanks, I’m on call. Plus, I don’t want to fall asleep on my lovely date before the end of the night.”

He gave her a hopeful smile, his brown eyes still red-rimmed from unshed tears. Brynn fought back the defeated sigh that gathered in her throat. If he was staying awake on her account, he shouldn’t bother. She didn’t care how nice of a guy he was or how hot he probably looked naked. She was not going to be his rebound sex. Nothing like knowing a guy is closing his eyes in bed because he’s picturing someone else beneath him. Brynn took a long gulp from her glass.

“Speaking of which,” he said, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out his cell phone, “could you excuse me for a minute? I need to check in with the answering service.”

“No problem, take all the time you need.” Really, he could take as much time as he wanted because this date was over—sign the death certificate and slap a toe tag on it. Done.

After he strode off, Brynn pushed her chair away from the table and straightened the hem of her black-and-white shift dress as she stood. She needed something stronger than champagne.

She navigated through the crowd and the steady hum of polite conversation, pausing occasionally to smile and shake hands with donors. The Women’s Crisis Center of Dallas had a fund-raiser twice a year and, thanks to a very active board, had managed to snag a number of high-dollar supporters for this one. Good thing, considering her job was dependent on the generosity of these strangers. She grabbed a mini quiche off a passing waiter’s tray and shoved it in her mouth, hoping her obvious chewing would deter more people from stopping her to chat.

Brynn spotted a familiar face near the bar. Melody, her coworker, flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder and laughed at something the bartender said. Brynn walked over but hovered behind her for a moment, not wanting to interrupt Mel’s flirting. The woman was a master and seemed to have the young bartender sufficiently under her spell until another party guest pounded a fist on the counter and demanded a refill. With an apologetic smile, the bartender excused himself and Melody huffed.

Brynn tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey, girl, I haven’t seen you all night. Where’ve you been hiding?”

Melody turned around and grinned.

“Hey, I could say the same to you. Although, I have an idea of what’s keeping you busy.” She nodded toward Brynn’s table. “How’s it going with the yummy doctor? Are you ready to play nurse yet?”

She groaned. “Seriously? That’s the best you can come up with?”

“Look, I’m three drinks into this. My comedy skills suffer when I’m tipsy.”

Brynn set her champagne on the bar, and then turned back to her friend. “It’s kind of a disaster. He almost cried already.”

She cringed. “Oh, no.”

Brynn held out her palms and shook her head before her friend could go into pity mode. “I don’t even want to talk about it. I’m apparently cursed to be a thirty-year-old born-again virgin.”

“Oh, screw that. You just need to stop looking for the perfect guy and find a guy to have some fun with. You could ask out that lawyer who’s starting at the crisis center,” she suggested. “I think he’s Cooper’s friend. And believe me, I mentally undressed him a little while ago and liked what I saw.”

“Oh, really, you got to meet him?” Brynn asked, scanning the crowded room to see if she could spot Cooper and her new coworker.

Mel sipped her drink. “Mm-hmm. I ran into Coop a few minutes ago and he introduced us. Apparently, the guy’s starting Monday, so you have two nights to get around your I-don’t-date-people-I-work-with policy. Just enough time for a dirty little fling.”

She rolled her eyes. “Right. I think that’d make for an awkward staff meeting on Monday.”

“Or an interesting one. I’d bet Mr. Dark and Dashing would know exactly how to break you out of your dry spell. You should see the size of his hands,” she said, holding up her palm with a knowing nod.

Brynn snorted. “If he’s so great, why aren’t you weaving your wicked web around him by now?”

“You know I like mine blond—feeds my Leonardo DiCaprio fantasies. Plus,” she said, nudging her shoulder, “you need the action more than me.”

“Good Lord, could you make me sound any more pathetic? It’s not like I’m going to shrivel up and die if I don’t get laid.”

Her expression turned deadpan. “You may. The lawyer may be your only chance before you spontaneously combust from sexual frustration.”

“Oh, please.” Brynn bent down to fiddle with the strap on her shoe. Damn thing was cutting into her ankle like razor wire. She loosened the strap and rubbed her reddened skin. “I’m not going to combust. Who needs the lawyer when I have a perfectly functioning vibrator at home?”

Brynn expected to hear a witty retort, but there was silence. She froze, her gaze still on her shoe. Mel, a former sex therapist, would never stay quiet after a comment like that, especially when her tongue was loose from alcohol. Unless… Shit. She closed her eyes briefly.

“Hey, ladies, hope I’m not interrupting,” Cooper said, her boss’s baritone voice barely concealing amusement.

Brynn straightened, finding Cooper wearing a shit-eating grin and Melody biting her lip like she was three seconds from bursting into laughter. Brynn slapped on a smile and tried to keep her voice light. “Hey, Cooper. Not interrupting a thing.”

“Good, ’cause I wanted to introduce you to the new lawyer.” Cooper nodded at someone behind Brynn. “This is Reid.”

Brynn’s response lodged in her throat, the all-too-familiar name ringing in her ears. No, couldn’t be. But a sinking feeling settled in her gut. She’d only met one Reid in her life, and that Reid was a lawyer. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath before she turned around to face her new coworker.

Reid’s blue-eyed gaze met her head-on, hitting her like an air bag to the chest. She sucked in a breath and fought the old instinct to lower her eyes in deference. Son of a bitch, where had that urge come from? She ticked up her chin and gave him her best I-hate-you-but-will-be-polite-because-I’m-the-bigger-person glare. “Hello.”

Cooper walked around Brynn and clapped Reid on the shoulder. “Reid, I’d like you to meet our other social worker, Brynn LeBreck.”

Reid nodded, his expression annoyingly unreadable. “Brynn, pleasure to see you again. It’s been a while.”

Not long enough. Three years had passed since she’d last seen him. His inky hair was longer on top and a few lines creased the corners of his eyes, but time hadn’t softened her warring responses to him. The urges to pummel his face and strip naked before him held almost equal weight. Luckily, the venue was too public to give in to either. She feigned an air of indifference. “It has.”

“Still as beautiful as ever, though.”

The warm notes of his voice stirred the dark recesses of her memory, further inciting the old longing. She shifted in her heels as hot tingles crept from deep in her belly and moved downward to settle between her legs. Un-fucking-believable. Her body was a whoring traitor.

Melody stepped next to Brynn as if sensing her need for support, and Cooper’s eyebrows rose. “You two know each other?”

Boy, did they—in just about every way a man and woman could. She searched Reid’s face, and he tipped his head infinitesimally, as if giving her permission to answer the question. Her eyes narrowed. “Used to. Long time ago.”

Cooper smiled, either oblivious or unperturbed by the tension zipping through the air between her and Reid. “Great. Guess introductions weren’t needed then.”

Nope. Not needed. Brynn knew exactly who Reid Jamison was. A first-class bastard.

Reid tucked his hands in his pockets, his relaxed confidence taunting her. “How’ve you been? Weren’t you working with kids the last time I saw you?”

So this is how he was going to play it, like they were old buddies. Fine. She nodded. “I was. But after my mother’s murder, I decided I should work with troubled women. Someone needs to be on their side.”

Reid’s jaw tightened. “Of course.”

She swallowed the scoff that threatened to escape. Of course, her ass. He’d been all too happy to take on her mother’s killer as a client. Who gave a shit about guilt or innocence if the paycheck was good, right? The ridiculous hormonal surge he’d caused turned frigid with the memory. She shot a pointed glance in the direction of her table. “Sorry I don’t have more time to chat, but I can’t leave my date waiting.”

Reid’s mouth curved upward, the effect more predatory than friendly. “No worries. We’ll have all kinds of time to catch up now that we’ll be working together again.”

Together. Every day. With Reid. The words felt like shackles locking around her limbs. She attempted a facsimile of a smile, exchanged good-byes with everyone, and then hurried back to her table. Dealing with a weepy date suddenly seemed like cake compared to spending one more second under the knowing gaze of the guy who, once upon a time, had brought her to her knees with a single, charged glance.

Reid watched the swaying ass of Brynn LeBreck as she hightailed it away from the group and returned to her date. Poor bastard. He’d overheard Brynn say something about her vibrator, so he assumed the guy wasn’t going to be asked in for “drinks” tonight. For some reason, knowing her date didn’t do it for her gave him an odd sort of satisfaction. It’d even been on the tip of his tongue to tell her that if she was in need of a good toe curling, he’d be more than happy to cuff her to his bed tonight—no battery-operated intervention needed.

But he figured the whole hating-his-guts thing would probably get in the way of her accepting his invitation. If time was supposed to heal all, Brynn definitely hadn’t gotten the memo. The fury that had flared in those green irises of hers could’ve set his suit on fire. Unfortunately, sharing air with the sexy blonde again had set other things aflame as well. His dick had jumped to attention like a soldier reporting for duty.

And he wasn’t even going to acknowledge the little flip his heart had performed in his chest. Stupid.

It’d been a few years since he’d seen her, ten since he’d touched her, but he remembered the feel of her curves and the taste of her skin as if he’d been buried inside her luscious body yesterday. He yanked at his collar, his tie suddenly feeling like a noose. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to take Cooper up on his offer of cheap rent in exchange for some pro bono work. He’d hesitated when he’d seen Brynn’s name listed on the brochure for the crisis center, but he’d figured he’d be immune to the woman by now. Plus, the deal had been too good to pass up. But now that he’d seen her again, he couldn’t deny that the residue of his old attraction still clung to his bones. Fuck me.

“Well, boys, I’m off,” Melody said, dragging Reid’s attention back to the two people standing beside him. “These shoes were made for dancing and the night’s almost over.”

Cooper turned to him after Melody traipsed off. “Man, you look like you need a beer.”

Reid’s shoulders relaxed a bit, and he gave his friend a half-smile. “You have no idea.”

Coop got the bartender’s attention, ordered two Shiner Bocks, and handed one to Reid. They moved away from the busy bar, but remained on the fringes of the milling crowd. His friend took a swig of his beer, then nodded in the direction of Brynn’s table. “So what’s the deal with you two?”

Reid shook his head. “Long story. Shitty ending.”

He chuckled. “I’m guessing there was nakedness involved. I’ve never seen her look so horrified to see someone. Although, I’m having trouble imagining the two of you dating. Brynn’s, uh, not exactly into guys like us.”

Reid eyed his friend. “Guys like us?”

Cooper gave him a wry smile. “The bossy type. I know it’s been a while, but I doubt you’ve changed that much since college.”

Reid absentmindedly rubbed the spot on his finger where a ring used to be. No, some things couldn’t be changed, no matter how hard he’d tried. Too bad he hadn’t figured that out before he’d married a woman who thought he was some kind of deviant for wanting to take control in the bedroom.

“I guess you’re right.” However, Cooper’s assessment of Brynn confused him. Back when he’d known her, she’d been exactly the kind of girl for his flavor of kink.

Coop pointed his bottle at him. “Well, I don’t know what’s between you two, but I suggest you clear out that old stuff quick. The last thing we need at the crisis center is drama between the employees. Believe me, our clients provide enough of that.”

Reid gave a curt nod. “I’ll take care of it.”

Now he just had to figure out how. This was supposed to be his fresh start, both from his failed marriage and from the stress of working in his family’s high-profile practice. Tiptoeing around Brynn and being on edge at work were not part of the agenda. He’d done enough eggshell walking over the past few years to last him a lifetime. That stopped now.

The way he saw it, she’d ripped his heart out ten years ago and then he’d let her down during her mother’s trial—they should be even. So whether she liked it or not, the two of them were going to dump their ugly history on the table and deal with it.

Based on previous experience, that kind of discussion would either end up in a screaming fight or a screaming fuck. Regardless, he wasn’t waiting until Monday to have it with her. To hell with her date—and her vibrator. There would only be one guy driving Ms. LeBreck home tonight.

TWO

ten years earlier

Brynn fought the urge to roll her eyes as the other girls in the campaign office fawned over the senator-to-be’s nephew. Reid had only been in the building for ten minutes and already her fellow coeds had provided him with cupfuls of coffee and an eyeful of cleavage. Not that Reid looked like he minded. He leaned back in his desk chair and graced the two women with his sly smile, holding court.

Brynn shook her head. Must be nice to have things handed to you without having to work for it. College paid for, a cushy summer job, and designer jeans that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe—all because you were lucky enough to win the family lottery.

She dropped her gaze back to the pink notepad in front of her and scribbled down the message from the phone call she’d taken a few minutes earlier. She tore off the sheet and put it on the growing stack of “while you were out” notes for Davis Ackerman, the campaign manager. Her neck ached from cradling the phone to her ear all morning, but she wasn’t going to complain. This new receptionist gig sure beat running the register at the Chicken Fried Chick down the street. She’d take sore muscles over hair that smelled like fryer grease any day.

The sound of a throat clearing made her raise her head. Reid propped his hip on the edge of her desk and peered down at her, his dark blue eyes analyzing her. “Brynn, right?”

She sat straighter in her chair in an attempt to look more professional. “Yes, sir. Brynn LeBreck.”

His mouth curled at the corner. “I’m hardly old enough to drink. I don’t think you need to call me sir, although it sounds kind of good coming from you. You have a nice voice.”

She groaned inwardly. All these girls tripping over themselves and he was going to turn that southern charm on her? Super. Not that he wasn’t nice to look at, but she didn’t have time for guys right now, especially ones who were related to the man who signed her much-needed paycheck. She forced a polite smile. “Guess that’s why they hired me to answer phones.”

He shook his head. “No, my uncle said he offered you the job because you were giving an unruly customer the what-for when he went in to get lunch one day. Figured you’d be able to handle all the craziness around here just fine.”

She smirked at the memory. The redneck had quickly regretted ogling her and asking if there was an up-charge for large breasts. “Yeah, not my proudest moment, but that customer deserved it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Uncle Patrick said you insulted the dude’s manhood… and his mother.”

She threw up her hands. “Well, the guy was being a dick. What else was I supposed to do?”

He pressed his lips together as if holding back a laugh.

She cringed. “Sorry. Sometimes my mouth opens before my brain gets involved.”

He chuckled, the deep sound so genuine the tension in her shoulders relaxed. “Don’t censor yourself on account of me. I didn’t hire you. I can’t fire you. So no filter necessary. Talk dirty to me anytime you want.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “If that’s your pick-up line, I’d work on it.”

He frowned, his brows furrowing. “No good?”

She sat her chin on her hand and shook her head.

“Really? Huh.” He looked over his shoulder. “I’d bet Molly or Krista over there would eat that shit up.”

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m sure you could recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the sorority twins would turn cartwheels.”

He nodded, his face serious. “That’s true. They do recognize my innate awesomeness. Too bad having a conversation with them is about as interesting as alphabetizing my CD collection.”

She glanced over at the two girls in question. Both were giving her versions of the stink eye. He followed her gaze, and they hurriedly looked away. “I have a feeling I’m not getting an invite to girls’ night now.”

He turned back to her, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “So, if I were to need a decent pick-up line to entice, let’s say, a smoking-hot blonde who likes to talk dirty to have a burger with me, what would you suggest?”

Her cheeks heated, unable to fend off the effects of his easy charm. No wonder he had girls following him around like ducklings. She glanced down at her desk, wishing she could say yes, but knowing she couldn’t. She and Reid Jamison lived on different planets. She didn’t have time for flings or dating. She needed to work, get through the summer, save every penny, and hopefully have enough to afford the move to Austin for school in the fall. She looked up at Reid. “I would suggest you find someone who has time to say yes.”

“Not even enough time for a simple burger?” he asked.

She tapped her desk calendar. “I’m in high demand these days. Gotta book months ahead.”

He snorted. “Good thing I wasn’t talking about you then.”

She fought a smile. “Good thing.”

He rose from his perch and gave her a quick grin. “Just know that I’m a pretty thick-headed guy. Takes me a while to get the point.”

She straightened the papers he had mussed on her desk. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He gave her a mock salute. “Nice to meet you, Brynn LeBreck. Be seeing you.”

Reid bumped a shoulder against the entrance to the guesthouse and tried to get the humidity-swollen door unstuck. When it didn’t budge, he gave it another hard shove and it released, banging against the inside wall. “Piece of shit.”

“If it’s such a hardship, you could always move back into the main house,” said a female voice.

Reid startled and nearly dropped the sack of groceries he’d been carrying. “Jesus, Aunt Roslyn, what are you doing in here?”

His aunt rose from his couch and crossed her arms over her chest, her face as tight as the bun in her dark hair. “You got a package today.”

He set the bag of food on the counter of his efficiency kitchen and stared at the large cardboard box in front of her. “Okay. I appreciate the heads-up, but no need to personally deliver it.”

She picked up the box and flipped it over, dumping the contents onto the coffee table. A slew of items spilled across the surface and Reid groaned. Handcuffs. Floggers. A blindfold. A few brightly colored vibrators and a number of other things even he couldn’t identify. Son of a bitch.

She turned her angry-parent death stare on him. “What the hell is going on, Reid? Do I need to call Dr. Leonard? I know he only sees patients until eighteen, but he may make an exception for us.”

His jaw clenched, the ridiculous suggestion making his blood curdle. “Back off, Aunt Ros. This isn’t even my stuff. Jace must’ve had it sent here since he’s staying with his sister right now. And what are you doing opening my packages anyway?”

Her stern expression didn’t soften. “The label said R. Jamison. And I have the right to open anything that’s put on my doorstep.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. He was going to kill Jace. Beyond the embarrassment factor of being in the same room with his aunt and box of sex toys, he knew where this was headed. “I’m sorry. He should’ve never sent this here.”

She eyed him with her trial lawyer shrewdness. “Reid, I don’t have to remind you how important it is that you do nothing to bring attention to yourself during this campaign. Your uncle is running on a family values platform and I refuse to let your… issues put that at risk.” She sighed and shook her head. “I thought we were past this.”

“My issues?” he bit out. “What the hell? I haven’t gotten in any trouble since high school. And even then, it was just stupid shit. You act like I’m a goddamned criminal.”

She walked around the coffee table and came to stand in front of him, her diminutive stature doing nothing to diminish her powerful presence.

“But your father was. And this”—she cocked her head toward the emptied box—“was his specialty.”

Like he needed a reminder. “It’s not my stuff. And even if it were, I would never hurt a woman. I’m not him.”

“Genes are a powerful thing, Reid. Don’t underestimate them.” She touched his shoulder, her tone gentling. “I know you can overcome them, but don’t put yourself in bad situations. I’m only looking out for you.”

And the campaign. She didn’t say it, but he knew that’s what she meant. “Right.”

“Get rid of this stuff. I can’t even imagine what poor Vanessa would think if she saw you with this filth. Don’t mess things up with her—she’s a fine young lady.”

Vanessa. He hadn’t thought about her all day. Hell, he hadn’t thought about any woman since the new receptionist had started at work. He didn’t know what it was, but something about Brynn held him captive. He’d barely gotten a lick of work done in three days.

But he definitely couldn’t tell his aunt about Brynn. He knew Ros had heard wedding bells the minute he and Vanessa had started to see each other a few months ago. Both she and his uncle tag-teamed him regularly, pushing for him to make the relationship with the mayor’s daughter exclusive. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” Ros gave his shoulder a quick squeeze, and then headed past him. He didn’t unclench his teeth until she’d clicked his door shut behind her.

Stalking to the couch, he pulled his phone from his pocket and hit speed dial.

His best friend answered on the first ring. “Hey, brother.”

“Jace, not only am I going to kill you, I’m going to do it slowly and painfully.” Reid sank onto the couch.

Jace laughed. “You must’ve gotten my present.”

“What were you thinking, sending this crap over here?” He lifted the handcuffs and examined them, heat rising in his gut as an image of him sliding the cool metal over the narrow wrists of a certain blonde receptionist filled his mind. He dropped them on the table. “My aunt opened it before I got home.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah, now she’s ready to sign me up with the kiddie shrink again, because I’m apparently a rapist-in-training.”

Jace groaned. “Dude, I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure

my sister didn’t see it. I told them to have it delivered to the guesthouse.”

Reid didn’t even want to ask what Jace could possibly need with all that stuff. He had enough crap to throw a goddamned orgy. “Just come and pick it up. I don’t need her bringing my uncle over here to see it.”

“Hey, look, take whatever you want from the box to keep,” he suggested. “It’s top-quality stuff. Consider it my apology for getting you in trouble.”

He eyed the different items that had tumbled out of the box—things meant to restrain a woman, to cause pain, to bring pleasure. He wet his lips. “It’s not my thing.”

“Uh-huh,” Jace said, his tone sly. “So you wouldn’t want to try some of that stuff out on that pretty receptionist you were drooling over today?”

He coughed, his throat threatening to close as erotic images crowded his brain. “It’s not for me.”

Liar. Imagining Brynn bound and naked had his cock straining against his pants. Hell, talking to her that afternoon had done as much. But he couldn’t tell Jace that—couldn’t tell anyone. He’d kept those urges in check for as long as he could remember, and he definitely wouldn’t risk screwing that up, especially with someone like Brynn. He liked her. Liked her enough not to inflict his darkest desires on her. No, with Brynn, he’d have to be extra careful.

THREE

now

Brynn waved as her date drove out of the dark parking lot. He’d received an emergency call and had to head to the hospital, saving Brynn the awkward end of night, this-ain’t-gonna-happen conversation. She leaned against the brick wall outside the banquet hall and rubbed her hands over her face. What a disaster of a night.

Thank God tomorrow was Sunday. At least she could sleep in and pretend the outside world didn’t exist for a little while. Maybe a day of pajamas, HGTV, and massive amounts of junk food could make her temporarily forget about facing Reid on Monday… and every workday after that. She groaned and tapped the back of her head against the wall, hoping maybe this was all some nightmare and she’d wake up.

“Sent him packing, huh?” The deep drawl caused her eyes to snap open. Reid leaned his shoulder against the wall, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

She crossed her arms over her chest and straightened. “He got called into work. Not that it’s any of your business.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the half-empty parking lot. “Let me give you a ride home. It’ll give us some time to catch up.”

She couldn’t help the derisive laugh that bubbled to her lips. “No thanks, I have my car, and please tell me you’re not suggesting we need to catch up like old friends. Even you can’t be that dense.”

He angled toward her and planted a hand against the wall, right next to her head. His face moved to within inches of hers. “You really hate me that much, sugar?”

His calm, commanding tone and the old nickname sent goose bumps along her skin. She pressed her back against the wall, her heartbeat switching to double-time. Here it comes. She sucked in a ragged breath, and the smell of his cologne wrapped around her like a familiar blanket. Her muscles stiffened, bracing for the panic attack she knew would hit her at any moment. Being cornered sent all her fear triggers firing.

But the terror never came.

Instead, she couldn’t take her eyes off the sensual curve of his mouth. She remembered all too well the things he could do with those lips, that tongue—how he could tease her body without mercy and then when she’d thought she’d go mad with need, send her rocketing into oblivion. A heated shudder rumbled through her and a sharp ache settled between her thighs.

His finger slipped under her chin and tilted it upward, so that she had to meet his eyes. “Well?”

His voice was so close it was as if he’d climbed inside her head. She wet her lips. “I—”

The blaring ring of her cell phone jolted her from her haze. Reid frowned down at her purse and shoved away from the wall.

She dug through her bag with shaking hands and grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

“Brynn, it’s me.”

She sighed. Late-night calls from her sister usually meant one of two things: she needed money or she was in some kind of trouble. “Hey, Kelsey. What’s going on?”

“Are you busy? I know it’s late, I’m sorry, I just… I need to talk with you and I couldn’t wait until morning, and I… Can you talk?”

Shit. A rambling Kelsey—never a good sign. Brynn glanced at Reid, who was now sitting on the railing of the handicap ramp, watching her intently. She turned her back to him and faced the wall. “I have a minute, what’s up?”

“No, I mean, like, talk in person. Something’s going on, and I… well, I may need to get out of town for a while. But I want to talk to you first.”

“Hold up. Leave town? What are you talking about?” She lowered her voice. “Kels, are you on something?”

“No. It’s, I… Can you just meet me at my apartment? It’s important.”

Brynn pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off the sudden pounding in her head. The last thing she felt like doing was traipsing across town at midnight to go deal with what would surely be unfounded drama, but what else could she do? Her sister had been making slow progress toward bettering her life. If she was having a bout of paranoia or had slipped up and gotten high again, Brynn had to help her through that. Plus, Kelsey had no one else to go to—never had. “Sure, I can be there in half an hour.”

Kelsey breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, B. Hurry, okay?”

“Will do. Just hold tight.” Brynn clicked her phone shut and tucked it back in her bag. She didn’t want to turn around. She could feel Reid’s stare burning into her back. God, why had she let him get so close before? She needed to institute a five-foot rule with him—anything closer than that and her hormones could not be trusted. He’d probably seen the arousal written all over her flushed face.

“Your sister okay?” he asked.

She straightened her shoulders and turned around. “Eavesdrop much?”

He shrugged, unapologetic as usual.

“She’s fine. She just wants me to stop by,” Brynn said, rummaging through her purse for her keys.

“Right now?” He looked down at his watch.

She threw him a what’s-it-to-you look, grabbed her keys, and headed in the direction of her car. His hand caught her upper arm when she passed him. “We need to talk.”

She wiggled out of his grip, the skin-to-skin contact too much for her frazzled nervous system to handle. “I don’t have time for this tonight. My sister needs me and it’s not a short drive to Quincy Heights. So this little come-to-Jesus is going to have to wait.”

His frown dipped deeper. “Quincy Heights? You can’t go there at this hour. That neighborhood’s a war zone.”

She snorted. “I grew up in neighborhoods like that. I’ll be fine.”

She started walking again, but he hopped off the railing and caught up with her. “I’ll drive you. I promise not to speak… much.”

“Yes, because a hotshot lawyer in a Brooks Brothers suit is really going to scare off the bad guys.” She halted her step and turned to face him. “Look, Reid. The last time I asked for help, you told me no. I don’t plan on asking again. So, go home. Stop acting like there is some discussion we need to have. There isn’t. Everything’s been said. Just come to work on Monday and pretend like we’ve never met. ’Cause that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

He eyed her, his jaw visibly flexing, but didn’t say anything else.

Good. She’d take his broody silence as agreement. She spun on her heel and didn’t bother to look back. Reid Jamison might’ve been able to bend her to his will when she was twenty, but if he thought his sexy smile and whispered commands would get him anywhere with her now, he was more delusional than her clients.

Brynn turned her car onto her sister’s street. The apartment complex was the last residential holdout on a street littered with pawnshops, bail bondsmen, and strip clubs. Reid hadn’t been off base in his assessment of the neighborhood. The Quincy Heights area probably had more hookers, drug addicts, and shootings than any other part of the city. Unfortunately, that type of area was more familiar to Brynn than the middle-class suburb she now called home. The part of Fort Worth she’d grown up in hadn’t looked much different than this.

She parked along the curb, then opened her glove compartment to grab her mace. She may have told Reid she could handle it alone, but she wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t going to go out on these streets this late at night with only a few self-defense training classes under her belt. Weapons were better. She tucked the mace in her purse and climbed out of the car.

Besides a woman in stilettos and spandex standing on the corner a few yards away, the sidewalk was empty. Brynn clicked the alarm on her car and hurried to the stairwell of the three-story apartment complex. She had tried to convince her sister to move closer to her—even offered to help with the costs—but Kelsey had been dancing at the club down the street and said she was perfectly fine here.

Brynn suspected Kelsey’s reluctance had more to do with her fear of being under Brynn’s watchful eye than commuting convenience, but Brynn hadn’t pushed. Her sister was making baby steps in the right direction, and she didn’t want to scare her off by being overbearing.

Her feet ached by the time she reached the top floor. Strappy black pumps were not meant for hiking up three flights of stairs. The 3B label on her sister’s door was peeling off around the corners. She smoothed her fingers over it, but the ends curled back up again. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever state her sister was in, and knocked on the door.

No answer.

She knocked again, but got the same response. With a huff, she pulled out her cell phone and called her. It went straight to voice mail. Terrific. Kelsey had probably gotten over whatever crisis she had called her about and now had gone out.

Or.

Anxiety crawled up her spine. She’d had nightmares of getting that call in the middle of the night—the one that would say something had happened to her sister. She’d received a call like that about her mother three years ago, and she’d sworn to herself at the time that she would do all she could to make sure she never got that kind of call about Kelsey. Unfortunately, Kels hadn’t always been so cooperative in helping Brynn keep that promise.

Brynn sorted through the keys on her key chain and found the one for her sister’s apartment. If nothing was wrong, Kelsey would be pissed that she’d gone in without asking, but Brynn wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if she didn’t make sure everything was okay. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer she wasn’t walking into a real-life version of one of her nightmares. But when she swung open the door, the only thing that greeted her was an empty apartment.

She hadn’t been to her sister’s place in over a month, but her mouth dropped open over the change. The last time, everything had been in disarray—empty cans and take-out boxes littering the counters in the tiny kitchen, dirty clothes piled on one side of the couch, and a layer of dust coating the few remaining surfaces. Now the only things that seemed out of place were a few cardboard boxes on the kitchen table. Everything else looked neat and freshly cleaned. Her sister had even draped bright afghan blankets over the shoddy brown couches, giving the room an almost cheery vibe.

“Kels,” she called out. “You here?”

Brynn stepped inside and closed the door behind her. When she received no answer, she made her way across the small living room and tapped on the slightly ajar bedroom door. “Kelsey?”

She opened the door a bit and peeked inside. The bed was unmade, and a shirt and pair of jeans were strewn across the flower-print comforter, as if her sister had stripped them off in a hurry. Her mirrored closet door was open, revealing more empty hangers inside than clothes. Hell, had Kelsey been serious about leaving town? She barely had enough money to make rent each month, how was she going to afford a road trip?

Uneasiness settled over her. After another failed phone call to her sister, she headed back to the front door. Maybe Kelsey had gone by the club where she worked. Or, at the very least, maybe someone there would know where she was. Brynn locked up behind her and made her way down the stairs, her brain swirling.

The stench of stale alcohol hit her too late. A sweaty hand clamped over her forearm as she stepped off the last stair. “Hey, sweetheart, where ya going so fast?”

Brynn sucked in a breath, her heart stuttering in her chest. “Let go of me.”

She tried to yank away from the man’s grip, but he dug his fingers in tighter. A smile edged his thin lips. He couldn’t have been older than his mid-twenties, but his face had the hardened look of a longtime drug user. “It’s okay, I wouldn’t hurt a pretty thing like you.”

Yeah right, and she was the queen of England. She jammed the pointy heel of her shoe into the top of his foot, putting every ounce of her strength behind it. “I said, let go, asshole.”

A slew of curses flew from his cracked lips, and his green eyes turned feral. Instead of releasing his grip like she’d hoped, he shoved her back into the darkened stairwell and slammed her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. He leaned in close, his sour breath making her gag. “Well, I was just going to ask if you could spare a little cash, but now you’ve gone and pissed me off.”

She swallowed hard, trying to ward off the oncoming panic attack, but it was too late. She gasped for breath, her lungs’ capacity seeming to shrink in her chest. Sweat dampened her skin, and her head spun. She squeezed her eyes shut. Breathe, Brynn. Think.

The man’s hand grasped the strap of her dress and yanked, tearing the thin piece of material.

Her knees went weak beneath her. She tried to think of the self-defense moves she’d learned, but she couldn’t focus on anything except the fact that she was trapped. That this was happening again. She wouldn’t survive a second rape. Her mind had barely survived the first. Her words tumbled out at a frantic pace. “You can have my purse, I have cash in my wallet. Please don’t do this.”

“Should’ve thought of that before you broke my fucking toe,” he growled. His hand pulled harder on the torn strap, exposing her bra. She opened her mouth to scream, but he smacked her hard across the face, her ears ringing from the blow.

“Don’t even think about it, or I’ll make this much worse.”

The image of his face blurred as tears pricked her eyes. Then, it disappeared from view.

“What the—” the man started, but was interrupted by a sharp crunching sound.

Brynn swiped at her eyes to find the guy on the ground, holding his bloodied nose, six feet of suit-clad lawyer standing over him with rage on his face. The man jumped up and started swinging at Reid, landing a fist to his chin. He was much smaller than Reid, but Brynn knew drugs could make a person pretty powerful.

“Shit.” She pulled herself out of her shocked state and plunged her hand into her purse. Her fingers curled around the can of mace, and she ran toward the fray. The two men were punching and swinging at each other in a violent dance. She didn’t know how to help. The wild-eyed man noticed her standing there and lunged at her. She reacted without thought, emptying the can of mace in his general direction.

“Motherfucker,” he cried, grabbing at his eyes.

She almost smiled, but then heard a deep groan from Reid. “Son of a bitch!”

Brynn glanced at Reid and cringed when she saw he was also reaching for his eyes. The would-be rapist stumbled past her, out of the stairwell, and onto the street, apparently admitting defeat. She hurried to Reid’s side, her throat itching and eyes watering from the residual spray. “Oh, God, are you okay?”

His face was red and tears streamed out the corners of his closed lids. He opened his mouth to respond, but went into a coughing fit instead.

She wiped at his face and patted his back, not sure what to do. “I’m so sorry. I panicked. I didn’t mean to get you.”

“Where’d he go?” he asked between coughs.

She looked back to the street. “He ran—he’s gone. What can I do to help you?”

He moaned. “Water? Fire hose? Something to flush it out.”

“Right, okay.” She grasped his elbow. “Come on, I have a key to my sister’s apartment. Let me get you up there.”

Reid leaned his head sideways over the kitchen sink as Brynn poured another cup of cool water over his eyes. They still burned like the fires of hell, but at least his vision had returned and he could speak again. She brushed her hand over his forehead, pushing his hair out of the way. “Any better?”

“I think I’ll live,” he said, straightening. She handed him a clean dish towel, and he patted his face with it. “Next time aim for the bad guy, okay?”

“Which one was that, again?”

He shot her a withering look.

She gave a sheepish smile. “Kidding. I got him, too.”

“Good, I hope he stumbled into the street and got hit by a goddamned truck,” he said, his anger firing up again in his belly. Fucking bastard. The guy was lucky Brynn had sprayed her mace. Otherwise, Reid might not have been able to stop himself from beating the man into an early grave. The way Brynn had been shaking. Jesus. From wildcat to kitten with the flip of a switch. “We need to call the police. Report him.”

She rubbed her bare arms and nodded. “Yeah, although I’m sure he’s long gone by now.”

“He may have to go to the hospital for the nose. They could check for him there.”

She sank into one of the dining chairs, her cheek still scarlet from where the jerk had struck her. “What were you doing there anyway?”

He smirked and propped a hip against the kitchen counter. “Because a hotshot lawyer can take care of the bad guys in a pinch, so I followed you. I wasn’t going to let you come out here alone at night… looking like that.”

She glanced down at her dress. “Like what?”

His gaze traced the delicate line of her neck, the deep V-cut of her dress, and the swell of her breasts. His mouth watered at the memories of how that ivory skin tasted—like sugared strawberries. He cleared his throat and looked down at the now bloodied dishtowel clenched in his fist. “Never mind. It’s just not a place you should come to by yourself.”

“Hell,” she said, getting to her feet again, “I didn’t even notice your hand. You’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine.”

She grabbed his biceps and guided him back to the sink. “Rinse it with soap and water. I’ll go and see if Kelsey keeps any first aid stuff around.”

She disappeared into the bathroom, and he turned on the faucet. The soap stung, but the cuts seemed minor, although his knuckles were already starting to swell. He shook his head. That’d be great for first impressions with clients on Monday. Yes, let me help you with your domestic violence case. Oh, yeah, don’t mind the black-and-blue knuckles. I’m really a good, responsible professional.

Brynn emerged from the bathroom with a handful of Band-Aids and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She pointed to the dining room table. “Sit.”

He dried his hands with a paper towel and fought a smile. She always had been a bossy little thing. But he knew the truth. Underneath all that tight control was a woman who, at least when he’d known her, loved handing over the reins. He swallowed hard, tamping down memories he didn’t need to rehash at the moment.

He dropped into one of the chairs, and Brynn sat across from him, her knees bumping against his. He widened his legs, and after the briefest of hesitations, she scooted forward, allowing his thighs to frame the outsides of hers as she reached for his injured hand. She circled her fingers around his right wrist, his pulse jumping at her touch, and brought his hand up to her face to examine it. His fingers itched to reach out and trace the bow of her lips.

Dammit. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his desire to touch her in check, but the citrus scent of her shampoo drifted to his nose and sent a bolt of carnal need straight to his groin.

He stared down at her. One quick grasp of her waist and he could lift her to straddle his lap, bunch up that dress, and slide his cock right into her sweet heat—kiss away all the tension furrowing her brow, drive her to that place of wild abandon he knew she could reach.

Without thinking, he lifted his other hand and twined her broken dress strap between his fingers, brushing the backs of his sore knuckles across her collarbone in the process. The small catch of breath in the back of her throat made his balls tighten. Such a feminine sound, so close to the noise she would make as he entered her.

But she didn’t raise her eyes to him and beg him to take her like he secretly hoped she would. She simply took the slip of material from him and tucked it under her bra strap to hold it in place, sending her message loud and clear. Not yours.

Not anymore.

“This may hurt a little,” she said, her voice tighter than it had been. She laid his hand on the table, moved her chair back a notch, and dampened a cotton ball with disinfectant.

He winced when the cotton touched his open skin, the sting helping to drag his mind back from the depths. He shifted in his seat. “So where is your sister anyway? Isn’t she the whole reason you rushed out here?”

She glanced up, her green eyes glinting with worry before she dropped her focus back to her task. “She wasn’t here when I arrived, and I can’t get her on her phone.”

He frowned. “Is it standard MO for her?”

She shrugged, but the motion seemed tense instead of casual.

“Is she still…” He paused, not knowing how to phrase it politely.

Brynn smirked at him. “Fucked up?”

Looking at this refined blonde in her elegant outfit, he’d forgotten where Brynn had come from. She’d never been one to mince words. He nodded.

She rose and returned to the adjoining kitchen, turning her back to him as she opened the freezer. “After the murder, she

really took a turn for the worse, blamed herself. And she was still convinced the asshole you defended was innocent.”

The muscles in his neck bunched. Hank Caldwell was innocent—is innocent. Unfortunately, Reid had failed to prove that to the jury, which was the first in the trifecta of lost cases that had led to his demotion from lead attorney. Now Hank sat rotting away in prison with a life sentence, waiting for Reid to pull a miracle out of his ass for an appeal.

However, he knew better than to preach Hank’s innocence to Brynn and throw a match on that powder keg. The one time he’d approached her during the trial to see if he could interview Kelsey for the defense, Brynn had jumped his shit like he was the devil asking for her soul. She’d wanted him to drop the case entirely, but of course he couldn’t do that. Not when he knew in his gut that Hank wasn’t the guy.

The stark betrayal that had flashed in Brynn’s eyes that day had sliced right through him. He’d seen the switch flip—the look of total dismissal. You no longer exist to me. So if she had any clue he was actively working on Hank’s appeal now, she’d probably shove him out of Kelsey’s third-floor window.

Luckily, Brynn continued on without waiting for his input. “But the last few months, she’s been making some progress. I got her to go to a detox program and a few therapy sessions. And she’s been sober—at least she was the last couple of times I saw her. But tonight, she sounded a little freaked out, paranoid.”

He flexed his fingers, which were quickly stiffening. “Any idea where she could be?”

“Here, this will help with the swelling.” She handed him a plastic baggy full of ice. “I honestly have no clue. It’s not like her to ignore her phone. I was headed over to the club where she works to see if anyone knew anything when that asshole attacked me.”

“Speaking of which, we need to put in a call to the police.” He dug in his pocket, but she waved him off.

“I got it. I saw him up close and personal. I’ll be able to give a better description.” She walked into the tiny living room and pulled out her phone, putting as much distance between the two of them as possible.

Her voice didn’t waver as she relayed the information to the police, but she paced around the room, wearing a track into the already threadbare carpet. Occasionally, she would stop to peek through the blinds of the front window as if to will her sister to appear.

Reid stood and tossed the bag of ice onto the counter, Brynn’s nerves setting him on edge. Why would her sister drag her out here then bail without even calling her back? He eyed the boxes on the dining room table, then flicked a quick glance at Brynn to make sure she was sufficiently absorbed in the conversation. He hooked a finger into one of the boxes and slid it closer so he could peek at the contents.

Papers, envelopes, a small notebook—all shoved in there in no apparent order. He rifled through some of the papers, then picked up the notebook and flipped through a few pages. There were a couple of initials and random phone numbers, one of which was for Cowgirls, the strip club down the street. He set the notebook to the side and rifled through another stack of papers.

As he reached the bottom, he froze, a familiar company name catching his eye. Grant Waters, Inc. To the rest of Dallas—the wealthy vineyard owner and producer of Water’s Edge Wines. But to those in the know—someone completely different. The yellow paper was the carbon copy of a background check form Kelsey had filled out.

A sinking feeling settled in his stomach. Last he’d checked, Kelsey was no farmhand. He set the form aside and grabbed the notebook again, flipping back to the number for Cowgirls. Maybe the strip club would have some information. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number.

“Cowgirls, this is Nina,” a cigarette-roughened voice said over the blaring background music.

“Hey, is Kelsey performing tonight?” he asked.

“Oh, honey, Kiki isn’t here,” she said, smacking her gum loudly. “But if you like blondes with d-cups, Alexis is going on in about half an hour. She’ll get you going as well as Kiki could’ve.”

He sighed in mock disappointment, making sure the girl continued to believe he was a customer. “Is Kel—I mean, Kiki, on vacation or something?”

She laughed. “What is it with that girl? You’re, like, the third call I’ve gotten asking about her. I’m sorry, but she quit a few days ago. Said she got a better-paying gig.”

“Do you know where?”

“Ooh, you got it bad, huh? She didn’t say, but I know it’s not one of the clubs around here. I would’ve heard.”

“All right, Nina. Thanks for your help.”

“No problem, sweet thing.”

He clicked the phone shut and turned back toward the living room. Brynn was leaning on the back edge of the couch watching him, her lips pressed into a grim line. “She’s not there.”

He shook his head. “Quit a few days ago. The girl said Kelsey took another job.”

Brynn’s threw her hands out to her sides. “Why the hell wouldn’t she tell me she’d changed jobs?”

“I may have some idea,” Reid said, glancing at the background form again. “Do you know if Kelsey is into anything kinky?”

She glanced at the table, then back to him, a little crease between her brows. “Well, stripping isn’t exactly run-of-the-mill.”

He shook his head and met her confused gaze. “No, I mean, like the D/s scene.”

Her eyes shifted away and he could almost visualize porcupine quills popping out of her skin. “How the hell would I know that? ‘Do you let a guy use you like a whore?’ is not exactly a question that comes up in sisterly conversation.”

He cringed, the words wrenching his gut. “Is that what you think it was? You think I used you?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “What exactly would you call it, Reid? I bet you weren’t tying up and ordering around that debutante girlfriend of yours—you know, the one you forgot to tell me about.”

She was right. He hadn’t been topping Vanessa. She would’ve sent her father after him with a shotgun if he’d done so much as copped a feel. But he’d had to toe the line—parade around with the girl he was expected to date. He blew out a breath and raked a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t like that.”

“No, I get it. Do the depraved stuff with the chick whose mother is a hooker, do the respectable things with the girl you want everyone to see on your arm. It’s an old story,” she said, sounding tired. “I was just too naive to see what role I was playing in the game.”

His jaw clenched. “I don’t know how I ended up the bad guy in all this. I seem to recall I wasn’t the only one you were playing with.”

She sighed and all the fight seemed to leave her stance. “Look, it doesn’t matter, okay. What’s done is done. I just want to know what all this has to do with my sister.”

He stared at her for a moment, part of him wanting to hash out their past, drag everything out in the open, and deal with it head-on, but the lines of worry in her face stopped him. He crooked a thumb at the boxes. “I looked through some of your sister’s stuff. She filled out a background check form for Grant Waters’ company.”

Her forehead scrunched. “Who the hell is that?”

“He owns two big vineyards outside of town. And he runs The Ranch.”

“Is that another strip club?”

He shook his head, tension taking root in his shoulders. “No, and I’m not sure on the details. But what I do know is that it’s

a BDSM retreat. Elite, exclusive, and if someone wants to disappear for a while—a good place to hide.”

She chewed her lip, as if mulling over the information. “But if it’s so exclusive, how would Kels get in?”

He shrugged. “Your sister’s a beautiful girl who’s not afraid to show her body. My guess is that they probably hired her on as a server or attendant of some kind.”

She crossed the few steps to the counter and grabbed her purse and keys. “Well, then, what are we hanging around for? Let’s go to this stupid place and get her.”

“Brynn.” He grabbed her wrist before she reached the door.

She glanced back over her shoulder, urgency rolling off her. “What’s wrong?”

“I have no idea where this place is. And even if I did, you’re not going to be able to get in without an invitation… or a master.”

All the blood drained from her face. She glanced down at his fingers circling her wrist and jerked her arm free. “What? I can’t—”

“Look, calm down,” he said, frowning down at her. “We can’t do anything tonight, but I know someone who may have a connection there. Let me see if I can get any information—find out if your sister is even there. In the meantime, you can go home and call anyone you can think of—her friends, boyfriends, whoever. Someone has to know where she is.”

Brynn chewed her lip, considering him, then nodded. “Okay. I guess that’s the best we can do tonight.”

He walked her down to her car, keeping an eye on their surroundings to make sure her attacker hadn’t decided to hang around.

She pulled open her car door and slid in, looking up at him with tired eyes. “Thanks for your help. I take back the comment about you not being able to scare off bad guys.”

He smiled. “Thanks, and I don’t mind helping.”

She dug in her purse and pulled out a business card. “Here. My cell is on there. Call me if you find anything out.”

He took the card from her and slipped it into his pocket, then feigned a grimace. “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I must’ve left my cell upstairs.”

She moved to climb out of the car. “Oh, well, I can go grab it for you.”

He held up a hand. “No, it’s late, and the sooner you’re out of this neighborhood, the better. Why don’t you just give me your sister’s key and you can leave? I’ll get the key back to you on Monday.”

She paused, evaluating him for a moment, then glanced down the darkened street. “Yeah, okay, but just make sure everything’s locked when you leave.”

She slid the key off her key chain and handed it over. Trusting him.

Guilt flooded him, but he charged forward with his plan anyway. “No worries. I’ll just run in and then lock back up. And

I promise I’ll touch base with you tomorrow if I can find anything out.”

“Thanks.” She pulled her seat belt across her chest. “Good night, Reid.”

“Drive safe, sugar.” He shut her door and waited on the curb, watching her taillights fade around the corner. As soon as he was sure she was far enough away, he jogged back up the stairs and let himself into Kelsey’s apartment, locking the door behind him.

Surveying the room, his eyes honed in on the boxes he hadn’t been able to explore while Brynn was there. The ones labeled Mom’s things. Thinking about what could be in those boxes had made his heart pick up speed. Last week when he’d visited Hank in jail, he’d told Reid that Kelsey had called him—said she may have found something that could help him get an appeal. Reid had planned to contact Kelsey to see what she had come across, but now…

He tapped down the guilt about being there uninvited and went into the kitchen to grab a pair of rubber gloves from under the sink. If he found anything of use, he didn’t want his fingerprints all over it. He hoped what he needed was in one of those boxes. But if it wasn’t, he wasn’t going to leave the apartment until he’d searched every inch of the place. If Kelsey had some key to getting Hank out of jail, he was going to do every damn thing possible to get his hands on it.

Even if that meant he’d have to hunt down Brynn’s sister himself.

FOUR

then

Mr. Jamison stepped out of his office with Reid not far behind. Brynn smiled as the older man stopped in front of her desk.

“Ms. LeBreck, it’s almost seven, what are you still doing slaving away?”

She held up a stack of envelopes. “I told Mr. Ackerman I would stay late tonight and stuff these.”

He leaned over her desk and looked at the piles of flyers on the floor. He shook his head. “You work late all the time. You’re too young to work that hard. Go home, my dear. Take a night off. I’ll make sure you get paid overtime for the evening.”

Reid broke into a wide grin behind his uncle.

Brynn smiled. “That’s really nice of you, but I don’t mind staying.”

He tapped his palm against the desk. “That’s an order, Ms. LeBreck. Get out of here. I’ll close up behind you.”

Well, she wasn’t going to argue with that. Mr. Jamison strolled off toward the copy room, and Reid replaced him at the front of her desk. She raised an eyebrow at him and pulled out her purse. “What’s with the shit-eating grin?”

“I have a date tonight.”

She choked back the bitter taste that stole across her tongue, knowing that she had no right to be upset. She and Reid had fallen into a comfortable friendship at work over the last few weeks—their playful banter the bright spot in her long days. But she’d never given him any indication she was interested in anything more or told him that when she finally lay in bed at night, that it was his face she pictured, his hands she imagined on her when she touched herself.

She couldn’t tell him. Their lives were so far apart from each other, they might as well belong to different species. She gave him a stiff smile. “Good for you.”

He laughed and held out his hand. “Come on, LeBreck. Let’s go.”

She stared at his open palm. “What are you talking about?”

He smirked. “I’m talking about a date—me, you, some food, all congregating in the same general area. You told me the day we met you didn’t have time for a burger. Now you’ve been given two hours you didn’t plan on having, so you owe me a date.”

She sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears. “Reid—”

He wagged his finger at her. “Nope, can’t turn me down. You don’t want to be responsible for crushing my fragile ego, do you?”

She snorted, but slipped her hand into his and let him help her to her feet. “Your ego is about as delicate as a freight train.”

He pulled her closer to his side and guided her toward the door. “It’s just a burger, Brynn.”

A few minutes later, Reid turned his truck into the drive-thru at the Burger Haven and ordered their meals. She shifted in her seat, the leather sticking to her bare legs. “I thought we were going to eat here.”

He pulled up to the window and paid for the food, then handed her the greasy paper bags. “The grub here is good, but the ambience leaves a lot to be desired.”

She snuck a fry from one of the bags and popped it in her mouth. “So where are you taking me, then?”

He waggled his eyebrows. “My evil lair.”

“No, seriously.”

He laughed. “And I thought I was a control freak. Relax. We’re not going far.”

Reid drove a few miles off the highway and parked next to a tree-lined pond, shutting off the engine right as the final edge of sun slipped beneath the horizon. Brynn peered out the window at the small park, its only occupant a lone goose wandering around one of the benches that lined the water’s banks.

“Looks like a real popular place,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

He chuckled. “It is during the day. People just don’t realize how cool it is at night.”

She looked out the window again. Obviously, coolness was in the eye of the beholder. “Yeah, I bet serial killers and drug dealers find it very appealing.”

That earned her a snort from him before he stepped out of the truck and came around to her side to open her door. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

She handed him the food and stepped down, the warm breeze lifting her hair off the back of her neck. He grabbed her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers. She couldn’t fight the smile that played around her lips. Reid was making an effort for this to feel like a date, which she appreciated. She’d been out with a few guys during high school, but usually the “dates” consisted of hanging out at each other’s houses and having awkward make-out sessions before their parents came home. Although, in her case, she always made sure she went to their place instead of bringing them to hers.

Reid placed the bags in the bed of the truck and unhitched the tailgate. “Hop up.”

She frowned. “Not the best day to wear a skirt.”

“Funny, I was thinking it was an excellent choice.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Come on, I’ll help you. I promise not to peek.” He put his hands on her waist and hoisted her up as if she weighed nothing. The wind caught the light material and sent her skirt fluttering upward, no doubt revealing her underwear in the process. She tamped it down with her hands, but not quickly enough. Reid grinned and put a foot on the tailgate, stepping up in one fluid motion.

She punched his thigh. “You are such a liar. You totally looked.”

“Hey,” he said, rubbing his leg and laughing. “It happened too fast. And they’re pink panties. It was like a tractor beam. How am I supposed to turn away from that?”

She groaned. “Guys are all the same.”

He unlocked the truck’s steel storage bin and pulled out a flannel blanket, smiling as he spread it out. “When it comes to the chance to see up a pretty girl’s skirt, you’re probably right. I’m sorry. Guess I shouldn’t have made a promise I couldn’t keep.” He took the burgers and fries out of the bags, uncapped the two bottles of soda, and then patted the spot next to him. “Still willing to eat with me?”

She should’ve been annoyed—the wicked glint in his eyes said his apology was less than authentic. But instead, his unrepentant playfulness only drew her to him more. Even with the effect he had on her hormones, something about him put her at ease—made the air around her feel lighter, the stress of the day not as daunting.

If she hadn’t been working with him, she would’ve assumed this was how Reid went through life—always cracking a joke, enjoying every moment, not a care in the world. But she hadn’t missed his switch in demeanor when his aunt and uncle were around. As soon as one of them walked through the office, it was as if Reid had a steel rod shoved up his back and all that easy confidence seemed to drain away.

Brynn wasn’t sure which version of Reid was the real one—the self-assured charmer or the wary political son. Maybe neither.

She scooted over to his side and unwrapped her sandwich. “So what’s so cool about this place?”

“Besides the fact that we’re here?” He sipped his drink and glanced at his watch. “You’ll see. Should start anytime now.”

They ate their burgers for a few minutes, the song of the cicadas and frogs providing the only chatter. She wanted to lean into him, to know what it would feel like for him to wrap his arms around her, to taste his kiss, but she glued her butt to the spot. This was just a burger. He’d said so himself. She needed to enjoy it for what it was. And even without him cuddled close, an unfamiliar feeling of contentment settled over her.

Every evening she either ate her meals on the run or in her room after she had cooked for her sister. Having someone to sit with was nice. She turned to Reid to tell him how much she appreciated him bringing her here, but a loud whooshing sound cut her off. “What in the world—”

“Here we go,” Reid said, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Lie back and look up.”

She set her sandwich down and lay next to him, her gaze going to the stars. The roaring grew louder, until it was almost deafening. She winced, but just when she thought her ears couldn’t take any more, the inky sky disappeared and the silver underbelly of a plane replaced it. The massive aircraft seemed as if it was going to land on top of the truck, but instead zoomed past them and touched down on a runway hidden behind the trees. The leaves around them shook and warm air gusted over her in the jet’s wake.

She turned to Reid. “Wow.”

He grinned, his face inches from hers. “Awesome, huh?”

She laughed. “Scared the hell out of me at first, but yeah, definitely. I had no idea you could get this close.”

His gaze scanned her face, pausing on her lips, tracking down her neck, then back up. “Yeah, the view’s pretty amazing this close up.”

Her body warmed under his stare, her heartbeat picking up tempo. She turned back toward the sky, hoping her voice would come out steady. “So can the people in the plane see us down here?”

“No, I don’t think so. Not at night. I’ve landed on this runway during the day and all you can see of the park is the pond and trees.”

“Must be pretty neat to see it from that perspective. I’ve never been on a plane,” she said, an unexpected wistfulness tingeing her tone.

He shifted onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow and looking down at her. “More of a road-trip girl?”

She shrugged. “I don’t exactly have room in my life for vacations.”

His eyes searched hers. “No time for trips, no time for dates, what’s got you so busy, Brynn LeBreck? You’re not secretly working undercover for the FBI or something, right?”

She laughed. “Why? You have something to hide?”

He leaned in a bit, like he was going to tell her a secret. “Only that I’ve got a mad crush on a girl who won’t even tell me the littlest thing about herself.”

The balmy notes of his voice moved over her like a caress, turning her insides liquid. She attempted a lighthearted smile. “There’s just not that much to tell. I’ve been going to community college for two years and am working to save money so that my sister and I can move to Austin in the fall. I have a scholarship to UT. That’s about it. My life isn’t exciting like yours.”

He sniffed. “You think my life’s exciting? I go to summer school, and then play the political game for the rest of the afternoon.”

She turned onto her side, mirroring his pose, needing to get some space between them. “You don’t seem to mind playing the role at work.”

“Being good at something and enjoying it are two totally different things. I hate the whole song and dance of politics. Drives me nuts. I just want to tell all those people who are trying to kiss Uncle Patrick’s ass via mine to fuck off. But he’s done a lot for me, so I smile and shake hands like I’m supposed to.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Why do you live with them?”

“They’re the only family I have around here.” A glimmer of sadness crossed his features. “My mom died of cancer when I was twelve. Aunt Roslyn took me in, and she and Patrick adopted me officially a year later. Hence, the Jamison last name.”

“I’m sorry. Losing your mom that young had to be hard.”

“Yeah, I didn’t handle it so well. Gave my aunt and uncle hell for a few years. I was pretty angry at the universe. But then I realized my mom would’ve kicked my ass if she saw how I was behaving, so I got my act together.” The corner of his mouth tilted into a wistful smile. “I wish she were still around. She was awesome—really got me, you know?”

Brynn nodded, although she had no idea what it must feel like to have someone like that.

“But at least I had somewhere to go when I lost her, even if it meant dealing with all that goes along with filling the role of the Jamison son.” He leaned over and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, sending goose bumps down her neck. “That’s one of the things I like about you. You don’t seem to give a damn about who my family is, so I can just relax around you.”

She laughed. “Yeah, once I found out you couldn’t fire me, you lost all shot of me kissing your ass.”

He slipped a hand onto her hip and pulled her closer, their bodies almost touching. “So what’s your stance on kissing other things?”

Every muscle in her body strained to move forward, to close the sliver of distance between them, but she held still. “Probably not a good idea since we work together.”

He smiled and shook his head. “See, you’re always such a half-empty kind of girl. Working together means we’ll get paid to hang out with each other.”

“And everybody in the office will think I’m hanging out with you for the wrong reasons.”

He shrugged. “That’s why we don’t tell. It’s none of their business anyway.”

She chewed her lip. “I like you, Reid, but I don’t know… it’s just complicated. I’ve got a lot—”

He put a finger over her mouth, hushing her. “Stop overthinking things, Brynn. It doesn’t have to be so complex. I know you don’t bullshit, so I’m not going to either. Since the first day I met you, I haven’t stopped thinking about what it would be like to touch you.” He cupped her chin and ran his thumb over her lips. “To taste you. I leave the office every day fighting a hard-on because just hearing your voice sets me off.”

She swallowed hard, the blunt words and his finger on her lips throwing gasoline on the flickering flame of longing she’d been fighting since they’d left the office.

“So in about three seconds, I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want that, you tell me to stop, and I’ll never try again.” He curled his hand around the back of her neck, his gaze tattooing her. “One… two…”

“Three,” she whispered.

He leaned over and touched his lips to hers, a deceptively gentle press that, from someone else, would’ve seemed sweet, innocent even. But the heated grip on the back of her neck and jolt of awareness that sizzled down her nerve endings were something else altogether. With a maddeningly slow pace, he tasted each part of her mouth—the corners, the bow at the top, the line where both lips met—like he was cataloguing every nuance of her skin, each flavor. She gave a little whimper of protest and he pulled back, holding her gaze for a moment. “Changed your mind?”

She should stop him; that’d be the smart thing to do. But her hormones claimed veto power over her brain. She reached for him, gliding her fingertips over the hint of stubble on his cheek, then down his neck to his collar. She gave it a gentle tug and pulled him with her as she rolled from her side to her back. If she was going to be stupid, why do it halfway? “Kiss me like you want to kiss me. I can feel you holding back.”

The blue in his eyes darkened as they swept over her face, her neck, lower. “Be careful what you ask for, sugar.”

She shivered beneath his hungry perusal. “I trust you.”

Something unidentifiable flickered across his features before he dipped his head and claimed her mouth again, blanketing her with his upper body. This time, there was no tentativeness, no teasing. Only white-hot rawness.

Just like in the fantasies she weaved in the privacy of her bedroom, Reid took control—his kiss as unapologetic as the man himself. Commanding fingers twisted in her hair, and his tongue coaxed her lips open, exploring her mouth with an adeptness that made her ache for more of him. Her nipples tightened against the thin material of her bra at the mere thought of what Reid’s talented tongue could offer them. She fisted the back of his polo shirt and arched into him.

He dragged his teeth against her lower lip and then nibbled along her jawline, making his way down to her neck. “God, you taste better than I could’ve imagined… so sweet.”

She writhed under his attention. The thought that he had imagined what she would taste like sent a ridiculous giddiness through her. Her voice came out in a whisper: “You’ve thought about this? About me?”

He groaned. “Every fucking day, Brynn. I can’t get you out of my mind. Every time you even look my way at the office, all I can think about is how bad I want you, wondering what it would be like to have you come apart beneath me.”

She shuddered against him, and a murmur of pleasure passed her lips before she could stop it. She’d never had a guy talk so blatantly about sex, but instead of offending her, it made the throbbing between her thighs more unbearable.

He chuckled, the sound low and dark. “And you like dirty talk. Sugar, you’re going to make me lose my damn mind.”

He moved lower, pressing soft kisses to her collarbone, then to the vee of skin exposed by her blouse. His fingers toyed with the first button and paused for a second, as if waiting for her to say something. When she didn’t, he unfastened the top two and opened her shirt. Gentle hands caressed her over her bra, providing just enough stimulation to whet her need, but not enough to satisfy. She closed her eyes, her voice a quiet plea. “Please.”

“Unhook it for me, show me what you want,” he said, his seductive tone like warm cashmere against her skin.

With clumsy fingers, she released the front clasp of her bra, baring her curves to him and the muggy night air. A lazy smile crossed his face as he cupped one of her breasts and ran a thumb across its peak. “I could spend all night just focusing on these. Look how hard and pink they are for me already.”

He pinched one of her nipples and rolled it between his fingertips, the sensation rocketing straight down her abdomen to the swollen bundle of nerves between her legs. She bit her lip and whimpered.

Before she could suck in another breath, the hot cavern of his mouth closed over one nipple. Tongue and teeth alternately laved and nibbled, the twining pleasure/pain combination making her back arch. She threaded her hands into his dark hair, gripping hard, trying to hold on to the shred of self-control she still had.

She wasn’t this kind of girl. Despite what the high school rumor mill had said once people found out what her mother did for a living, she’d only slept with one guy. But right now, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than Reid inside her, claiming every part of her.

His head lifted as his teeth nipped her ear, his hot breath marking her neck. His hand moved to her knee and then slid up her leg at a languid pace, pulling her skirt with it. She parted her thighs, so ready for his touch she thought she would hyperventilate if he didn’t get there soon.

Recognizing the invitation, he ran his palm against the outside of her panties, rubbing the soaked satin against her clit. She rocked against his touch, and he slipped his hand below the waistband, sliding his fingers along her hot button before dipping lower.

Her head tipped back, sharp darts of pleasure shooting through her. “Oh, God.”

Reid groaned and pulled his hand back.

A flutter of panic seized her. Why was he stopping? “What’s wrong?”

He stared down at her, lines of strain etching his face. “Brynn, tell me to stop.”

She wet her lips, her throat going dry. “Why?”

“Because this isn’t why I brought you here.” He raked a hand through his dark hair. “And because if you don’t, I’m going to strip you bare and fuck you until you scream so loud the people flying overhead will be able to hear you come.”

“The hell you are,” said a booming, southern voice.

Brynn jumped at the stranger’s words, scrambling to pull her top closed and her skirt down. “Shit, shit, shit.”

The beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness, and Reid put a hand up to block his eyes. “Hello?”

A stern, middle-aged face peered over the side of the truck. The state trooper adjusted the brim of his hat. “What the hell do you two think you’re doing?”

Reid sat upright, scooting in front of Brynn. “Evening, Officer. We were just, uh, having a little dinner.”

“Uh-huh,” the man said, shining the flashlight on Brynn as she fastened the last button on her shirt. “I have a feeling I know what’s on the menu. Do you kids know I could arrest you for indecency in a public park? Or worse.” He turned his light back to Reid. “You didn’t give this young lady money for her services, did you?”

Brynn’s mouth dropped open. “Jesus, I’m not a prostitute. We were just kissing.”

The cop quirked an eyebrow at her. “Well, then I suggest the two of you try to conduct yourselves in a more respectable manner. If I catch either of you out here again, I’ll take you both in.”

Reid raised his hands and gave the officer a smile that dripped with sincerity. “We are so sorry, Officer. It won’t happen again. We’ll get right on out of here. Thank you for letting us by with a warning.”

The cop grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. Waiting.

They hurriedly gathered their things and climbed into the cab of the truck. Brynn’s cheeks burned so hot, she was sure she had turned a shade of purple. God, how had she let that get so out of hand? She’d never lost control like that with anyone. One kiss and she’d been ready to screw Reid until the sun came up. All the reasons of why a relationship with him was a terrible idea had evaporated from her mind the instant his lips had touched hers. Dangerous.

Reid merged onto the highway and after a long stretch of silence, cleared his throat. “You okay?”

No. “I’m fine. Just a little embarrassed.”

He gave her a rueful smile. “Sorry about what happened.”

She turned to look out the window, afraid that he’d be able to read her thoughts on her face. “Not your fault. I’m just glad he didn’t take us in.”

“No kidding. I can’t even imagine how happy the media would’ve been over that—candidate’s nephew gets arrested for public indecency. My aunt and uncle would’ve had a shit fit.”

She stared out the window as cars whizzed by, feeling like she was in some alternate universe. Reid’s biggest worry about an arrest was media coverage; hers was that she’d have no one to post bail to get her out. The contrast would’ve been laughable if it wasn’t so damn depressing.

He reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “I promise less mortification and threat of arrest on our next date.”

She closed her eyes and leaned against the headrest, hoping he would take the hint she didn’t want to talk. She’d thought that maybe she’d be able to keep it light and have a little fun, but an hour alone with Reid and she’d been ready to lose herself. Something she couldn’t afford to do with someone like him. She couldn’t tell him right now, but no matter how much she liked him, there would be no second date.

FIVE

now

Reid ordered another coffee and dumped some salsa on his huevos rancheros while Detective Will Green examined the papers Reid had given him. Reid knew not to bother the man once he’d retreated into the zone—that place where cops go when trying to put all the pieces together. But he couldn’t help but watch every tick of the cop’s expression, hoping Will saw as much potential in the documents as he had.

One refill and a clean plate later, the detective looked up, lines of frustration cutting into his dark skin. “Where did you get this?”

Reid dodged the question, not ready to tell the detective he’d found the ledger—via illegal search—in a hollowed out dictionary in Kelsey’s nightstand. “Kelsey, the vic’s youngest daughter, contacted Hank about the evidence a few days ago. I think she found it when she went through some of her mother’s old things. I just got ahold of it last night, but from what I can tell, the ledger lists all of the victim’s client appointments and payments going back two years before her death. Including a big transaction scheduled for the day she was killed.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I saw that. Not sure what a hooker could do to warrant a twenty-five-thousand-dollar fee. No lay is that good.”

Reid gave him a humorless smile. “Celia LeBreck used to work in the high-end strip clubs. Not until after she had her second child did she start turning tricks on the street. Maybe she still had connections to someone she met in her glory days.” He pointed at the photocopies he’d made of Celia’s appointment book. “This J. Kennedy person listed on the last day. He’s in there a number of times before that, but only for a thousand bucks at a time.”

Will’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe she had something on him and was upping the ante.”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Reid said, nodding. “And maybe he didn’t want to pay up.”

“This definitely throws suspicion away from your client. I never did believe that kid was the guy, but I don’t know if this is enough to get you an appeal.” The detective stared at the copies again, rubbing his chin. “Unless we can figure out her code and actually get some solid suspects. Every name in here is a fake one.”

Reid sank back in the booth and sighed. “Yeah. J. Kennedy, C. Eastwood, S. Poitier, A. Lincoln. All celebrities or historical figures. Smart lady—protecting her ass and her clients.”

The waitress stopped by and refilled Will’s coffee cup. He dumped a few packets of sugar in and stirred, the contemplative look crossing his face again. “My guess would be that she didn’t pick the names randomly. If this was her way of keeping people straight, she probably had some reason to assign each name. Like Sidney Poitier probably isn’t a young white guy.”

Reid nodded. “Right. And she may have let clients pick their own code names as well.”

“Was Kelsey any help with who the names belonged to?” he asked, sipping his coffee.

Reid shifted in the booth. “Well, I haven’t exactly been able to talk to her about it.”

Will nailed him with shrewd eyes. “You have her evidence, but haven’t talked to her? How’s that work, Counselor?”

Reid cleared his throat. “Um, well, I sort of had the opportunity to get this from Kelsey’s apartment… without consent.”

Will titled his head back as if he were going to shout at the heavens. “Jamison, what the fuck? I know this case has eaten at you, but you’re breaking and entering now?”

“No, no, nothing like that. I got ahold of a key from the other daughter. She just didn’t know my intentions.”

He groaned. “Still makes the evidence inadmissible.”

“Unless Kelsey agrees to give it to me, which I think she would do—if I could find her.”

“You don’t know where she is?”

He rubbed his eyes, the all-nighter starting to catch up with him. “She’s kind of disappeared. She called her sister last night and then never showed up to meet her.”

His pissed-off expression switched to concern. “Uh-oh. You think something’s wrong?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. Kelsey doesn’t have the best track record. She’s got a drug history and from what I gather, a habit of being flighty.”

“Well, if she doesn’t show up by the forty-eight-hour mark, her sister needs to report her missing—just to be safe. Although with the overload at the department, I don’t know how much focus it will get.” Will frowned and added even more sugar to his cup, as if the sweetener could make the bitter situation easier to swallow. “That girl was still living at home when all this went down. She’s the only one who may have a shot at identifying some of the people behind these names. Without her and her permission to admit this ledger as evidence, you ain’t got shit.”

Acid burned in his stomach. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

This case had ruined Reid’s reputation and had continued to keep him up at night. There was no way he was going to let such potentially explosive evidence go by the wayside. No, he needed to find Kelsey and find her fast.

Reid’s cell phone vibrated against the table, and he picked it up to check the caller ID. Ah, just who he needed to talk to. He plunked a few bills on the table and slid out of the booth. “Will, I gotta take this. Thanks for your help. I’ll be in touch.”

“No problem.” He lifted his coffee cup in salute. “Hope you find your girl, Counselor.”

A bloodcurdling scream wretched Brynn from the depths of sleep, and she jolted upright, nearly hurling herself off her living room couch. She glanced around frantically, her chest heaving with choppy breaths, but found nothing amiss in her sunlit living room.

She sank back against the arm of the couch and put her hand to her sweat-slicked neck, the rawness in her throat confirming where the scream came from. “Dammit.”

She hadn’t had a nightmare in over a month and had dared to hope she was past them. But the blanket twisted around her legs and her pounding heart confirmed otherwise. She rubbed her eyes with her hands, the familiar images from the awful dream seeping through now that her mind was fully awake.

Unwanted hands. Being trapped. Darkness. Flashes of the always-faceless rapist now mixing with the image of the man who’d attacked her in Kelsey’s stairwell.

She released a groan of frustration and threw the blanket off her. “I am so sick of this shit.”

She wanted to holler the words, throw something through the sunny window, shake her fists at the fates. But she knew none of it would do any good. And right now, she didn’t have time to bellyache about her own problems.

She glanced at the clock on her DVD player. Right past noon. She’d stayed up all night, calling Kelsey’s friends, the clubs she’d worked at in the past, hospitals, and even put in a message with her police contact. But so far, she didn’t have squat and was at a loss as to what her next step should be.

Pound the pavement to talk to people in person? Report her missing?

She shook her head. Part of her wished she could just shrug the whole thing off and chalk it up to Kelsey being irresponsible. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was really wrong. Why wouldn’t Kels have called her or left a note, something? She’d sounded really freaked out on the phone. Was she using again? Was that what this was about? She hoped to God that wasn’t the case. Last time her sister had gone on a bender she’d nearly killed herself.

The memory clenched Brynn’s chest in a vise grip. Kelsey was the only family she had left. If she lost her…

She gave herself a mental shake and took a breath. No. She wouldn’t go there. Would. Not.

She grabbed her cell phone off the coffee table and checked the screen. No messages. With a sigh, she leaned forward to set it back down, but it rang in her hand. The sudden noise made her jump, but she had the phone to her ear in record time.

“Hello?”

“Brynn, it’s me.”

Reid. Even after ten years, he apparently didn’t feel the need to say who it was. Like he knew she’d be able to identify his voice from any other man’s. She could. “Hey.”

“Any word from your sister?”

“No one’s seen her or heard from her. I’m running out of people to call. What about you? Did you find out anything?”

Papers shuffled, like he was turning the page of a notebook. “I talked to someone who’s a member and found out that The Ranch does hire attendants and pays them well. A person gets a bonus of ten grand when he or she completes the intense training program, which apparently involves a few weeks of total immersion in each side of the D/s relationship.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of money.”

“Yeah, no kidding. It could be pretty tempting for someone like Kelsey.”

She tucked her legs beneath her. “So how do I find out if she’s taken a job there?”

He sighed. “That’s the problem. The place is like Fort Knox. The only way you’re going to find out is if you go there yourself and look for her. My friend said he could probably get you in as a guest.”

She swallowed hard. “How would that work?”

“They don’t allow doms to come in as guests, only as full members, so your only option is to go in as a sexual submissive. You would have to be willing to submit to a member.”

Her fingers curled into the twisted blanket on the couch, the material still damp from her sweat-inducing nightmare. A bone-deep shudder went through her. “Reid, I don’t… I can’t… do that.”

The line went quiet, and she wondered if the call had dropped, but then he took a breath. “I could go with you. Save you the stranger part.”

Her throat seemed to close. Not just submit, but submit to Reid? The idea sent her brain and body into a tailspin. Her gaze darted to the picture on her side table—the last one she and her sister had taken with their mom. Before the murder. Before the trial. Anger stirred in her belly.

“Brynn?”

“No,” she bit out, her voice finally returning. “No fucking way.”

He snorted. “Calm down, LeBreck. It was just an idea. If you’d rather hand yourself over to some stranger, I’m sure there will be many at The Ranch happy to oblige.”

She closed her eyes, bile burning the back of her throat. No way would she survive either of his suggestions. “Let me make a few more calls. I’ll let you know if I need your friend’s help.”

“You know where to find me.”

“Why’d I even bother?” Brynn hung up her office phone and rubbed her forehead, a piercing headache hatching behind her eyes. Two days with hardly any sleep, and her body was no longer responding to caffeine.

A light tap on her open door made her lift her gaze. Mel stepped into her office, lines of concern creasing her forehead. “Still no word from your sister?”

Brynn shook her head. “I just keep calling her like all of a sudden she’s going to come to her senses and answer her phone.”

Mel plopped into the chair across from Brynn’s desk. “So what now?”

Brynn sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I have no idea. I’ve talked to everyone I can think of, and I can’t even officially report her missing to the police until tonight.”

“What about Reid’s friend? Have you given any more thought to trying to get into that resort? Sounds like a good lead.”

Her stomach flipped over. “Mel, I don’t know if I could pull that off. I thought I was past all this crap. I did the therapy, took the self-defense classes, but the minute that guy put his hands on me the other night, the panic sucked me in. I was completely useless.”

Mel eyed her for a long moment, and Brynn could almost hear the gears grinding in her friend’s head.

Brynn pursed her lips. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What if…” Mel said, then waved her hand. “Never mind.”

“Oh, no,” Brynn said, shaking her head. “Just say whatever it is you’re thinking. It’s not like you’ve ever held back before.”

She leaned forward and straightened the papers in Brynn’s outbox, adeptly avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know, it’s just, maybe this is exactly what you need, you know? Exposure therapy.”

Brynn stared at Mel as if her friend had sprouted antlers. “Are you being serious? Exposure therapy?”

She shrugged, but still didn’t raise her eyes.

“Don’t you think turning myself over to some stranger’s sexual demands is a bit of an extreme prescription? I was raped, Mel. It’s not like I’m trying to kick a fear of spiders or something.”

She cringed. “I’m sorry, B. I’m not trying to minimize what you’ve been through. I just wish I could help you get past it. Exposure therapy is brutal, but you know it can be effective.”

Brynn waved a dismissive hand. “I already did the protocol with a therapist where I went through a retelling. The exposure stuff hasn’t worked. It didn’t even get the nightmares to stop.”

“Experiencing the memory in the counselor’s office isn’t the same as putting yourself in your most feared situation. And it wouldn’t be like getting raped again. They have rules at places like that. You could make the person stop at any time.”

Brynn pinched the bridge of her nose, the pounding in her head getting worse. “Mel, I love you, but you’re talking crazy. Not only does the whole idea make me feel like I’m going to puke, but I’m not going to hand my body over to some stranger who gets off on hitting women. I spend all day working with my clients trying to get them away from men like that.”

She sighed. “Dominance and abuse are two totally different things. You and I both know that.”

Brynn quirked an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

She shrugged, and then focused on picking invisible lint off her black pants. “I may have gone to one of those kink clubs once during grad school.”

“And you didn’t tell me? What sort of roommate leaves that kind of choice information out? I told you everything that was going on with me.”

“Oh, like that was so scandalous,” she said, looking up and smirking. “You were dating an accounting major for God’s sake. I didn’t want to freak you out. And anyway, I just went for research purposes. I didn’t actually participate in anything.”

Brynn propped her elbows on her desk and placed her chin in her hands. “So what exactly did you do if you didn’t join in?”

Melody rolled her eyes. “Duh. Watched.”

Brynn leaned back in her chair. “Oh, hell, I hadn’t even thought about that part. Even if I had the guts to try to get in the club, I forgot about the fact that others could see me.”

“Hey, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Mel’s voice took on a saucy tone. “Some people find it exciting to be watched. You never know, you may be an exhibitionist under that good-girl facade.”

A long-dormant memory tickled the back of Brynn’s mind, making her cheeks heat. Her best friend had no idea how, once upon at time, she’d been far from angelic. She cleared her throat. “Sounds like my personal nightmare, not a fantasy.”

Mel gave her a sympathetic smile. “Fair enough. Just know I’m not trying to tell you what to do, hon. You need to figure out what feels right for you.” She stood and gave Brynn’s hand a quick squeeze. “But either way, Kelsey is lucky to have a sister who still cares enough to worry about her. A lot of people would’ve given up on her a long time ago.”

Mel’s words hung in the air long after her friend stepped out, wracking Brynn with guilt. Mel was wrong. Her sister was far from lucky. The only person in the world who cared about her was sitting on her ass in her office too scared of her own demons to try to help. A useless coward.

She pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead, turning Mel’s suggestion over in her mind again. Exposure therapy. Full immersion in her fear. The idea sounded padded-cell crazy, but what if her friend was right? What if the only way she was ever going to get past this was to jump off the proverbial cliff and plunge into her nightmare?

She was so tired. Tired of being scared. Tired of waking up in a cold sweat. Tired of letting what some monster did dictate so much of her life.

Maybe this was the answer. God knows nothing else had worked.

Her phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She fumbled for the receiver. “Hello?”

“Brynn, it’s Tony Flores.”

Her contact with the police department. Thank God. “Hey, Tony.”

“Sorry I’m just getting back to you, but I had to check on a few things before I talked to you. Do you have a minute?”

She sat up straighter at the cop’s grim tone. She worked with Tony regularly for her clients’ domestic violence cases, and knew he only reserved that tone for bad news. “Of course, what’s going on?”

“I didn’t get your message until last night, but I ran your sister’s name through the system to make sure she hadn’t been arrested or hadn’t gotten in an accident or something. And I didn’t find either of those to be the case, but her name did pop up under something else.”

Her grip on the phone tightened. “What do you mean?”

“Saturday night we got called out to work an assault. Guy by the name of Nick Camden got himself beat up pretty bad.”

Kelsey’s on-again-off-again boyfriend. The knot of anxiety in her stomach grew larger.

“According to the report, the paramedics said your sister showed up a few minutes after the attack, running late to meet Nick. They asked her to wait for us to get there so we could talk to her, but she bailed before our officers arrived. Nick didn’t see his attacker, but he’s convinced it’s Raymond Miller, one of the big dealers in the area. Dangerous guy.” He sighed heavily. “Nick told us your sister owes this guy a lot of money. He thinks she was the intended target.”

“Oh, my God.” She sank back in her chair.

“Have you heard from your sister yet?”

She closed her eyes. “No, she’s not answering her phone, and I’ve called everyone I can think of. No one has a clue where she is.”

Another sigh. “Look, we have our guys trailing this Miller guy. He drove by your sister’s apartment this morning.”

“So he’s still looking for her?” The thought sent goose bumps across her skin.

“Looks that way,” he said, sounding tired. “The good news is he doesn’t seem to know where she’s hiding out. The bad news is we don’t know where to find her either. We want to offer her some protection if she’s willing to cooperate with us. We believe she has vital information that could put this guy behind bars. But we can’t do anything until we get a hold of her, and I don’t have the manpower to hunt her down. Unfortunately, Miller might.”

Brynn pinched the bridge of her nose once more. Kelsey cooperate with the police? Not likely. After their mother’s murder and Hank’s arrest, she’d developed quite an aversion to the boys and girls in blue. No wonder her sister had run off. She was hiding from the bad guys and the good guys.

“Tony, I promise I’ll keep doing what I can to find her and will let you know if I hear anything.”

“Thanks, Brynn. And I’ll call you if I have any news on this end. Just be careful poking around. You don’t want to end up on this guy’s radar, too. Lie low.”

Another thought hit her. “Wait, one more thing. Did Nick happen to say how much Kelsey owed this guy?”

The clicking of a keyboard, then: “Looks like somewhere in the neighborhood of ten or fifteen grand.”

Her head tilted back against her chair, the conclusion she’d spent the last day and a half trying to deny taking shape. Shit. “Thanks.”

She hung up the phone with a trembling hand and sucked in a few long, steadying breaths to quell the adrenaline rushing through her. She knew what she had to do. For her sister, and hell, maybe for herself, too. The only question was if she could actually do it without having a total mental breakdown in the process.

She stared at her desk calendar, the names of the women she counseled staring back at her. Women who she encouraged to take charge of their situations, to tackle their fears, to stand on their own feet and claim their lives.

She was such a goddamned hypocrite.

Her fists clenched and something strong and steely wrapped around the ball of fear in her chest, stifling its hold on her and straightening her spine.

Without giving herself time to reconsider, she stepped around her desk and headed out of her office. One foot in front of the other. The steady clicking of her heels against the linoleum and her pounding heartbeat the only things filling her head. She didn’t stop until she had knocked on his office door.

“Come in,” Reid called, and she pushed open the door. He glanced up from a box of files on his desk. Despite the temporary truce they’d forged over the weekend, she had avoided him after the obligatory greeting at the communal coffee pot that morning. If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Brynn squared her shoulders, trying to hold on to her newfound determination and ignore the swirl of emotions the lawyer incited in her. Seeing Reid on a daily basis was going to take some getting used to. Why couldn’t he have lost all his hair and sprouted man boobs by now? Then, she could just focus on hating him and wouldn’t have to deal with the attraction that seemed burned into her DNA. “All moved in?”

He tapped the box in front of him. “Last one to sort through.”

She nodded and folded her arms across her chest, lingering in the doorway, anxiety leaking into her system again. “That’s good.”

He pulled a few files from the box and set them on the desk. “Any new leads?”

She chewed her lip. “I’m pretty sure Kelsey’s at The Ranch. I talked to my friend at the police department and found out Kels owes a lot of money to a local dealer. They think he’s after her to pay up.”

He frowned. “Well, The Ranch would be a great place to hide, especially if she’s looking to make some cash quickly.”

She nodded, her throat threatening to close. Her flight response was kicking in just thinking about asking the question. Dammit. Get it together, Brynn. She reached for the doorjamb to hold herself steady.

His blue eyes evaluated her, and his mouth sunk into a deeper frown. Before she could force out a word, he rose from his chair and crossed the room, his focus never leaving her face. She wondered

if he was going to embrace her, ward off the panic. The thought seemed both appealing and abhorrent all at the same time.

But he didn’t hug her. Instead, he slipped his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small white card. When she didn’t make a move to take it, he grabbed her hand and with a gentle pressure uncurled her fist. He placed the card in her palm. “I told my friend to expect you around eight tonight.”

She lifted Reid’s business card, flipped it over, and read the handwritten address. “But how did you know to make an appointment? I hadn’t even decided to do it.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Ten years may have passed, Brynn, but I still know you.”

Anger at his knowing glance chased away the burgeoning panic. “What? That I’m a girl who willingly jumps in bed with anyone?”

His expression hardened. “No, I was going to say because I know how protective you are of your sister. But maybe your assessment is more accurate.”

She flexed her fingers, wishing that she’d taken the kickboxing class instead of the self-defense one because punching Reid’s smug face would have been so satisfying. But she really didn’t need to get fired for interoffice violence on top of her already shitty day. “Screw you, Reid.”

He smirked, tilting his head closer as if he were going to share a secret. “You already did that, sugar. And from what I remember, you loved every minute of it. All you have to do is ask and I’ll come along with you.”

Heat rushed to her cheeks, but her tone turned icy. “Don’t misconstrue my appreciation for your help this weekend with forgiveness. You lost the right to touch me a very long time ago.”

“Suit yourself.” He rocked back on his heels and tucked his hands in his pockets. “Good luck with your stranger, Brynn.”

Your stranger. Her lunch threatened to make an encore appearance, and she turned on her heel, striding away before Reid could see how much he’d gotten to her.

SIX

then

Brynn flinched as Davis Ackerman slammed his fist on his desk, a strand of perfectly gelled hair falling across his forehead.

“Dammit, Brynn. How could you leave the governor on hold that long?”

She stared down at her skirt, worrying the hem between her fingers and wishing—not for the first time—that she worked directly for Reid’s uncle and not for the power-happy campaign manager. “I’m so sorry. I… um… I had an emergency call on the other line. I got distracted.”

“What call could possibly be more important? He’s the goddamn governor!” Davis’s face turned the color of the cinnamon gum he incessantly chewed.

Tears brimmed her eyes, but she blinked them back. Explaining to him that her sister had called her in hysterics a minute after she thought she’d transferred the governor’s call would not win her any points. She cleared her throat. “I promise it’ll never happen again.”

“You got that right,” he said, rising from his chair, his hand still clasping a copy of the e-mail the governor had sent to him about sitting on hold so long he’d hung up. “I know Patrick has taken a liking to you, but this kind of thing will not be excused. No more mistakes, Ms. LeBreck.”

She breathed an inner sigh of relief. Thank God. No pink slip today. She nodded and stood. “Yes, sir, I understand. Thank you.”

She yanked open the office door and escaped in such a hurry she didn’t notice Reid until she barreled into him. A stack of papers dropped from his hands. “Whoa, there.”

“Shit,” she said, sinking to her knees to gather the mess. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

He knelt next to her and laid a hand over hers, stilling her frantic pace. “Hey, chill. It’s okay. What’s wrong?”

She glanced up to meet his gaze and died a little when a hot tear slid down her cheek. No, please, not in front of him. She wiped the moisture from her face and pulled her other hand from beneath his. “I’m fine, just in a rush.”

He glanced at the closed door behind her. “Did Davis upset you?”

She shook her head and straightened the documents into a neat stack before handing them to Reid. “It’s nothing. I made a mistake, and he was talking to me about it.”

Reid stood and set the papers onto a nearby desk, his blue eyes narrowing. “More like yelling. I could hear him from across the office. God, that guy can be such a prick sometimes. He thinks just because he landed a management position at thirty he can piss on everyone else.”

She walked past him and grabbed her purse from underneath the reception desk. “It’s not a big deal. I deserved it. I shouldn’t have messed up.”

“Hold up.” He caught up to her and grasped her shoulder, spinning her to face him. “It doesn’t matter what mistake you made. You never deserve to be yelled at.”

His touch burned through the thin material of her blouse, and the worry in his eyes made her want to cry again. She shrugged out of his reach. She would not let Reid see her shed tears. And she certainly wasn’t going to tell him why Davis yelling was the least of her worries at the moment.

She had managed to maintain her friendship with Reid, even while dodging his repeated invitations for a second date. She refused to ruin it by letting him see who she really was. “I appreciate your concern, really. But I’m fine. And I have to go. I have a bit of a family emergency to deal with.”

She hurried past him and headed for the exit door. Home. She needed to get home. Kelsey had blubbered through most of the conversation. But Brynn had gotten the gist. And she wasn’t looking forward to what she would face when she arrived.

She climbed into her ’88 Chevy and turned the ignition, but the engine didn’t fire. She gritted her teeth and twisted the key again. Nothing. Not even a click. The damn car wasn’t even trying to start. She banged her fists against the steering wheel, the tears finally escaping. “You’re going to die on me now?”

A sharp tap on the window made her jump. Reid peered in and mouthed, “You okay?”

God, couldn’t a girl get a moment alone to wallow? She grabbed a tissue from her purse and dried her face before shoving open the door. She climbed out and forced a smile. “Ever have one of those days where you wish you had just stayed under the covers?”

He grasped her elbow and pulled her into an all-encompassing hug, the sudden contact stunning her into silence.

Her first instinct was to pull back. For the last few weeks, she had carefully avoided touching Reid again, protecting herself from the internal longing she knew his touch would incite. But the warmth of his embrace was too delicious to reject. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had really hugged her. He smoothed her hair, and for a few luxurious seconds, she let her cheek rest against his solid chest.

He sat his chin on top of her head. “Whatever it is, sugar, let me help.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his cologne, imprinting the feel of him on her brain so that she could access the memory later. She slipped from his hold and stepped back. “I don’t need help.”

He eyed the powder blue heap behind her. “I could call you a tow truck.”

She shook her head. She couldn’t afford to pay for a tow or for anyone to fix it once it got to the garage anyway. “Um, no, that’s okay. I’ll get a friend to come take a look at it tomorrow.”

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Well, then I’ll give you a ride home.”

She cringed inwardly. No way was she letting him see where she lived, much less witness what would greet her when she got there. He’d either be appalled or, worse, feel sorry for her. The thought turned her stomach. “I’m just going to take the bus, but thanks.”

He shook his head and crooked a thumb toward the shiny black pickup behind him. “Get in the truck, Brynn. You said you have a family emergency. If that’s the truth, then you don’t need to waste time on the bus. Stop being so hardheaded.”

She put her hands on her hips, ready to tell him to shove off, but then remembered the frantic edge in her sister’s voice. Her shoulders sagged as she said a silent good-bye to the friendship she and Reid shared. Once he saw who she really was, he’d bail like all her other friends always did. She gave him a dejected nod and followed him to his truck.

When she told him her address, she expected a raised eyebrow, but his face remained stoic. “I know where that is.”

They rode in silence, the muscles in Reid’s forearms flexing as he gripped the steering wheel. Clearly, she had done something to annoy him, but she didn’t have the energy for conversation. Instead, she stared out the window, watching the state of the neighborhoods decline as they passed each exit—from upper class to barely getting by in a mere fifteen miles.

By the time Reid pulled into the driveway of her family’s shoddy rental, she was burning with embarrassment. She grabbed the cool metal of door handle and didn’t dare look at him. “Thanks for the ride.”

The automatic locks clicked, preventing her from escaping.

“I’m not leaving until I know everything’s all right.” His tone brooked no argument.

She bit her lip, not knowing what to think of this version of Reid. The power that radiated off him made her insides twist with an emotion she couldn’t pinpoint. She took a steadying breath. “Okay, stay out here. I’ll come back out and let you know if I need you or not.”

He stretched an arm across the back of the seat, as if settling in for the wait, and nodded.

After disengaging the lock, she scooted out of the truck and said a silent prayer as she pushed open the front door. The small puddle of blood on the vinyl tile of the entryway and the sound of soft sobbing sent panic through her. She dropped her purse and ran for the kitchen. Her fourteen-year-old sister’s tear-stained face lit with relief when she saw Brynn. “Ohmigod, what took you so long? She wouldn’t let me call 911.”

Brynn turned toward the kitchen table. Her mother sat slumped in one of the chairs, her head resting against the back wall, one eye swollen shut.

“Holy crap, Ma, what the hell happened?”

“Hmm?” She lifted her head and peered at Brynn with her good eye. “Is that you, baby?”

Brynn groaned at the slurred words and knelt in front of her mom to check her over. Her low-cut top had been torn slightly at the vee and finger-shaped bruises marked her upper arms. The puffiness around her eye was already turning a sickly shade of purple. “Jesus.”

“Is she going to be okay?” her sister asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

Brynn frowned. Kelsey was a tough kid, but no one should have to see their own mother like this. “She’ll be okay, Kels. Thanks for calling. I’m sorry I got stuck late at work.”

“S’okay,” she said, shifting from one flip-flop to the other. “I was supposed to sleep at Becca’s tonight ’cause we have a school project to work on, but I didn’t want to leave until you got here. I can stay and help if you want.”

“Is her mom going to be home?”

“Yeah. And she said she’d drive us both to school in the morning.”

Brynn cocked her head toward the back door. “Go ahead. Just ring the phone when you get there so I know you arrived safe.”

She nodded, her shoulders noticeably relaxing. “Okay, are you sure?”

“You’ll only be three doors down. I’ll come get you if I need you, all right? Go get your stuff.”

Kelsey turned to head to her room, then yelped.

Reid put his hands up as he filled the doorway. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He looked at Brynn. “I was getting worried out there.”

Brynn glanced from Reid to her mother to the stack of empty liquor bottles on top of the counter.

Now he knew. She wanted to fold in on herself and disappear.

Reid tried to keep his expression flat as he took in the scene. He didn’t know what he had expected to find when he’d barged into Brynn’s place, but finding her with a bloodied and bruised woman had not been it.

Brynn turned her back to him but not quick enough for him to miss the horrified expression on her face. She grabbed a cloth off the table and patted beneath the woman’s nose. “I’m sorry, I forgot you were waiting. We’re fine. You can go now.”

Reid moved out of the way as the younger blonde, Brynn’s little sister he presumed, hurried past him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a breath. “What I can do to help?”

Her shoulders dipped as if she were carrying sandbags on them, but she didn’t turn to look at him. “Just leave. Please.”

Yeah, like that was going to happen. For the last few weeks, he had let Brynn get away with her casual rebuffs and subtle distancing. He had deserved it after the way he’d lost control on their first date. But he’d be damned if he was going to let her push him away from something like this. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She swung her head around, her eyes filling with tears and her face red with shame. “Can’t you take a hint? You’re making this worse. I don’t want you to be here to see this.”

He closed the distance between them and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be embarrassed. I just want to help you.”

She winced. “I don’t need your help. I’ve been handling my mother for years, I’m a pro. So why don’t you leave, pretend you never saw this, and I’ll see you at work. Okay?”

Ignoring her request, Reid turned and walked to the refrigerator, then pulled open the freezer door. Except for the three cheap bottles of vodka, the contents were slim, but he found what he was looking for. He brought a bag of frozen corn back to Brynn. “Put this on her eye, it will help with the swelling. Does it seem like anything’s broken?”

Brynn took the bag and stared at him for a long moment before standing up and placing it on her mother’s black eye. “I don’t think so.”

“Do you think she needs to go to a doctor or the police?”

“She’ll refuse to see either.”

He nodded. “Okay, then why don’t we get her somewhere she can rest and sleep it off?”

Brynn sighed and stood. She gave her mother’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “Ma, I’m going to help you get up and walk to your bedroom, okay?”

Her mother reached up and patted Brynn’s hand. “Thanks, baby.”

Reid went around the opposite side from Brynn and gently grabbed her mother’s upper arm to help her to her feet. She stumbled a bit, but managed to stand with their assistance. With slow, steady steps they led her out of the kitchen and down the narrow hallway. Brynn bumped open one of the doors with her elbow.

The room was barely bigger than the closet in Reid’s own bedroom and looked way too neat to belong to a woman who was clearly out of control. He wondered if Brynn had led him to her own bedroom to protect herself from more embarrassment.

Brynn pulled back the sheets, and the two of them helped her mother to sit on the edge of the bed. She bent down and slipped off her mom’s heels, then placed them on a rack in the closet. Reid frowned. This wasn’t Brynn’s room, but apparently she played maid to her mother along with everything else.

“Who the hell are you?” said a slurred voice.

Reid turned to see her mother squinting at him with her uninjured eye.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your daughter’s boyfriend.”

She snorted. “Right.”

Brynn hurried to her mother’s side and shot him a withering look. “Come on, Ma, let’s get you into your nightgown.”

“He’ll only break your heart,” she said. “Cheating bastards—all of ’em. Believe you me. They all do it eventually. I’d be broke otherwise.”

“You are broke,” Brynn muttered, and glanced at Reid. “I’m going to get her changed. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He nodded and stepped into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. As he made his way back to the living room, his heart broke for the girl who had quickly become the sole focus of his days. No wonder she didn’t have time for a burger. She was taking care of everyone around her. He sank into the well-worn couch and ran a hand over his face.

After his last date with Brynn, he’d thought she might be the girl he could share his secret with, but now he knew he had to keep his lips sewn shut. The last thing she needed was to hear about his sordid fantasies. Her opinion of men had already been warped enough.

No, what Brynn needed was a hero—a guy who would treat her with the respect no one showed her mother. The only question was, did he have enough self-control to be that guy?

Brynn clicked her mother’s door shut and took a moment to gather herself before facing Reid. She didn’t want to discuss what had happened, but she couldn’t just kick the guy out with no explanation after he’d been decent enough to help. She smoothed the creases in her black pants, straightened her shoulders, and walked toward the living room.

Reid was sitting forward on the couch, forearms on knees, and his mouth in a grim line. His black tailored shirt and expensive jeans looked out of place against the faded flower pattern of their secondhand furniture. He looked up when she sank into the love seat. “Got her in bed okay?”

Brynn kicked off her heels and tucked her legs beneath her. “Yeah, she’s already out. Thanks for helping me get her to her room. I’m beyond embarrassed that you saw all of this.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s fine.”

She scoffed, the sound holding no humor. “Fine? Yeah, I’m sure this is exactly how you spend your evenings—cleaning up an alcoholic after one of her dates decides she didn’t do enough to earn her money.”

Deep frown lines etched his face. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Why did you tell her you were my boyfriend?”

He shrugged. “It just came out. I guess it’s because I’d like to be.”

Brynn groaned. “You must be a masochist. Look around, Reid. This is my life. I’m not like the other girls at the office. I have a lot going on and hopefully am leaving for college in a few months.”

His brows dipped. “Leaving?”

“I told you that on our first date.”

“I know, but how are you going to do that with all that’s going on here?”

She shrugged. “That’s why I’m busting my ass with overtime at work. I’m going to get an apartment and take Kelsey with me—file for guardianship.”

He blew out a breath. “Wow.”

“Yeah, see what I mean? You need to go find some chick like Molly or Krista who can go and do all the fun things people our age are supposed to be doing. I’m not that girl.”

“Oh, right, ’cause those airheads at the office are awesome.”

“No, I’m serious. I mean, look, one evening with me and I bet I’ve completely messed up your plans. Isn’t Thursday college night at all the bars?”

“Come ’ere,” he said, motioning for her. Reluctantly, she rose and stepped closer to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down to his lap before she could protest. “I don’t want some chick. I want you. Get over it.”

She sighed. The thought of having Reid, of affording herself that little luxury for a few months, was so tempting. But their worlds existed on different orbits. “I like you, Reid. I just don’t know how anything between us could work. You have political mixers and frat parties, I have a household to run and now, apparently, crime scene cleanup. There’s no way—”

“Shh,” he said, smoothing her hair. “Stop overanalyzing everything. Don’t you ever shut off that busy brain and let yourself feel what you feel?”

“No.”

He laughed. “What about that night in my truck? You seemed like you were able to let go a bit. Weren’t you acting on feelings then?”

She smirked. “Well, yeah. I don’t get half-naked for guys as a personal hobby. Of course I felt something.”

“So what was different?”

She thought back to that night—the confident way he had touched her, the dirty talk, the way his kiss had made her senseless. She shifted in his lap, suddenly very aware of how close they were, and dropped her focus to her hands. “I don’t know. You took control, I guess. I didn’t have to make any decisions for a change, and it was kind of a relief.”

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